INIUTOS ng Commission on Election (Comelec) ang pagkansela sa certificate of candidacy (COC) ni Councilor Darwin ‘Awi’ B. Sia (2nd district) dahil sa pagkakahatol dito ng korte ilang taon na ang nakakaraan, sa salang pagnanakaw ng kuryente, kung saan isinaad na siya ay hindi na pupuwedeng tumakbo para sa anumang posisyon sa gobyerno.
Sa 15-pahinang resolusyon ng Comelec, sinabi nito na ang COC ni Councilor Sia para sa May 12, 2025 national and local elections “is hereby denied due course and cancelled.” Si Sia ay tumatakbo sa tiket ni Francisco Domagoso.
Ayon sa resolusyon na isinulat nina Comelec Second Division Presiding Officer Rey Bulay at Commissioners Nelson Celis at Noli Pipo, sumumpa si Sia na siya ay ‘eligible’ para tumakbo bilang konsehal nang maghain siya ng COC.
Gayunman, binanggit ng Comelec na ‘it is public knowledge and widely circulated’ Sia had been convicted by final judgement by the Manila Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in a case of illegal use of electricity or anti-pilferage. The case, docketed as criminal case no. 12-293357, convicted Sia for violation of Section 2(a) of Republic Act No. 7832, otherwise known as the Anti-Pilferage Act of 1994 and was sentenced to pay a fine of P10,000.”
“This offense, by its very nature, constitutes a crime involving moral turpitude,” ayon pa sa resolution, na nagsabing sa ilalim ng Omnibus Election Code, “an individual is disqualified to be a candidate for an elective position and from holding any office if such a person has been sentenced by final judgement for a crime involving moral turpitude.” Ganito rin ang nakasaad sa Section 40 ng Local Government Code.
“Responden’ts eligibility if unmistakable. A plain reading of the two separate provisions of law clearly states that the conviction for a case involving moral turpitude is a ground to perpetually disqualify one from running for an elective office absent any plenary pardon or amnesty,” dagdag pa ng resolusyon.
“Moral turpitude has been defined as including any act done contrary to justice, honesty, modesty or good morals… Furthermore, it is a well-settled jurisprudence that theft is a crime involving moral turpitude,” ayon pa sa resolution.
Ayon sa Comelec, kahit alam ni Awi ang legal consequences ay sadya pa rin nitong itinago o “he deliberately concealed” ang pagkakahatol sa kanya, sa isinumiteng COC.
“With clear knowledge of his disqualification due to a conviction…respondent falsely represented himself as eligible for the position he seeks.Such a misrepresentation is a material matter that directly impacts his eligibility and warrants the cancellation of his COC,” saad pa ng Comelec.
