Gonzalez guns mayoralty post of Iloilo City
By Perfecto T. Raymundo Jr.
MANILA,
Nov. 21 (PNA) -- Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul Gonzalez Sr. is
definitely running for mayor of Iloilo City in the May 10, 2010
elections.
According
to Gonzalez, he is still interested in clinching the highest local
chief executive post in the City of Iloilo come next year's elections.
In
June this year, Gonzalez has expressed his readiness to resign from the
Cabinet of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo by November to prepare for
running in the local post.
"We
are still awaiting the decision of the Supreme Court about presidential
appointees whether we can resign come the campaign period time,"
Gonzalez stressed.
The
Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday ordered the Commission on Elections
(Comelec) to answer the pleading filed by election lawyer Romulo
Macalintal seeking to declare as "void" the Comelec resolution that
considers as resigned all appointive officials who shall have filed
their respective certificate of candidacy (COC) by November 30, 2009.
The
Comelec has set the period from Nov. 20 to Dec. 1, 2009 within which
for those seeking elective post in the May 10, 2010 general elections
to file their respective COC.
In
Tuesday's en banc session, the SC gave the Comelec a non-extendible
period of five days beginning Tuesday within which to submit their
comment.
Comelec
Resolution 8678, otherwise known as the "Guidelines on the Filing of
Candidacy and Nomination of Official Candidates of Registered Political
Parties in connection with the May 10, 2010 National and Local
Elections", provides that a person holding a public appointive office
or position, including active members of the Armed Forces of the
Philippines, and other officers and employees in government-owned or
controlled corporations (GOCCs), shall be considered ipso facto
resigned from office upon filing of his certificate of candidacy (COC).
It
also provides,however, that a person holding an elective office or
position shall not be considered resigned upon the filing of COC for
the same or any other elective office or position. (PNA)
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