Governor-elect Abraham Kahlil Mitra reacted to reports stating that the Supreme Court (SC) had already disqualified him as candidate for Palawan ’s gubernatorial race.
Rumors about Mitra being disqualified by the high court were circulating for the past days. The decision was even published in some newspapers, the rumors said.
“We should not believe these stories. The election is over and our people are growing tired with this kind of reports circulating,” Mitra said over radio station DYPR.
He also raised doubt over the rumored decision since the SC was in vacation, he said.
“The case would still undergo a long process since the court was asking for some documents to be presented to them,” Mitra related. He also stressed that “I was not disqualified. Let’s just wait for the court’s decision before saying anything.”
Mitra also called for his political rivals to just unite and work for the good of the people and the province.
“They were claiming that they were helping Palaweños in many ways. Why don’t they just do what they were doing before the elections? Let us all focus on helping the Palaweños,” he said.
Mitra’s closest rival during the automated polls was businessman Jose Pepito Alvarez who was known for his JCA Foundation which gives free medical services for the needy.
Despite his disqualification, Mitra was able to join the May 2010 polls after the SC issued a status quo ante order enjoining the decision of the Comelec to cancel his certificate of candidacy three days before elections.
The case rooted from a suit filed by Antonio Gonzales and Orlando Balbon Jr saying that the congressman still lived in Puerto Princesa City municipality of Aborlan
Residents of Puerto Princesa, being a highly-urbanized city, could no longer vote nor run for provincial posts.
Last week, former Senate president Jovito Salonga, Mitra’s collaborating counsel, filed a motion to the SC requesting for a favorable decision on the disqualification case.
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