Mabilog’s voter reactivation awaits election board ruling

By Mariela Angella Oladive

The appeal of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog to reactivate his voting rights remains pending as the Election Registration Board (ERB) prepares to deliberate on the matter in a hearing set for October 12.

This was confirmed by COMELEC-Iloilo City Assistant Officer II Jonathan Sayno during a press conference on Sept. 27. Sayno emphasized that Mabilog’s reactivation is not guaranteed, as objections may arise.

The ERB, consisting of the city election officer, local civil registrar, and the city schools superintendent, will review Mabilog’s application alongside other delisted voters who applied for reactivation between July 1 and Sept. 30.

If the ERB disapproves Mabilog’s reactivation, he has the option to file a petition for inclusion in court.

“[If disapproved], Mayor Jed [Mabilog] can file a petition for inclusion in court to be reinstated to the voter list, and at that point, it will be outside COMELEC’s jurisdiction. That’s the process,” Sayno explained, adding that the court ruling must be issued before the election period begins.

Despite the pending appeal, Mabilog can still file his certificate of candidacy (COC) from October 1 to 8.

“One must be a registered voter to file a COC, but there is an item in the COC stating, ‘I will be a registered voter.’ This means that even if the reactivation has not yet been approved, he can still file his COC,” Sayno said.

He also clarified that Mabilog’s residency in Iloilo City has not changed, noting that Mabilog has not renounced his residency or Filipino citizenship.

Mabilog submitted his application for reactivation via email to COMELEC-Iloilo City on Aug. 22, followed by a video conference oath-taking on Aug. 23.

Meanwhile, Sayno confirmed that Mabilog’s niece, Sheen Marie Mabilog, who was initially expected to run as a city councilor under the Uswag slate, was not included in the final list.

This comes amid Jeck Conlu’s recent resignation as head of the Public Safety and Traffic Management Office and his withdrawal from the slate.

Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed this update during a recent review with COMELEC over the last two weeks, coinciding with Mabilog’s return.