CONVICTED child rapist Romeo Jalosjos can’t run for mayor of Zamboanga City this May. Neither can his brother Dominador, who had been convicted of robbery, vie for the governorship of Zamboanga del Sur.
The Commission on Elections on Tuesday ordered the cancellation of the certificates of candidacy of the siblings after the Supreme Court earlier reminded the poll body that perpetually disqualified Filipinos can no longer seek public office.
Under the Revised Penal Code, a person who has been perpetually disqualified loses his right to vote as well as his right to be voted to public office.
In its November decision on Dominador’s case, the High Tribunal said Comelec should on its own be canceling the COCs of Dominador and candidates like him instead of waiting for petitions against them.
“The Comelec will be grossly remiss in its constitutional duty to ‘enforce and administer all laws’ relating to the conduct of elections if it does not motu proprio bar from running for public office those suffering from perpetual special disqualification by virtue of a final judgment,” it said.
Dominador’s conviction for a robbery he committed in 1969 became final, and he was sentenced to up to 12 years’ imprisonment.
But the court pointed out that Dominador still got elected and even served twice as a mayor of Dapitan City despite having been permanently disqualified.
Using the same Supreme Court ruling, Comelec canceled the COC of Romeo Jalosjos who was convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of an 11-year-old in 1996.
Jalosjos was then a congressman representing Zamboanga del Norte. He was also convicted of six counts of lasciviousness in another case.
In 2009, after serving 12 years in prison, Jalosjos was freed from prison for good conduct but was not granted absolute pardon.
He was supposed to run for mayor of Zamboanga City this May as a candidate of the United Nationalist Alliance.
The Jalosjoses hold sway over a large portion of the Zamboanga Peninsula.
Jalosjos’ son and namesake Romeo represents the second district of Zamboanga Sibugay in the House of Representatives. Son Rommel is at present the governor of Zamboanga Sibugay and is seeking reelection. Yet another son, Seth Frederick, is the incumbent representative of the first district of Zamboanga del Norte and is also seeking reelection.
His sister Cecilia Carreon, a former congresswoman, is running for mayor of Dipolog City. Brother Cesar, a third-term congressman (third district of Zamboanga del Norte), is running for governor of Zamboanga del Norte.—Yvonne T. Chua