Comelec to await House say on vacated seat after solon’s death

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will wait for the decision of the House of Representatives if it would declare a vacancy or order a special election following the death of Cebu 1st District Rep. Raul del Mar early this week. (File Photo By Elmer B. Domingo – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0)

MANILA – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will wait for the decision of the House of Representatives if it would declare a vacancy or order a special election following the death of Cebu 1st District Rep. Raul del Mar early this week.

“What we would do is to wait for the declaration of vacancy by the House leadership and will say that there is a need to conduct a special poll,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said on Thursday.

Jimenez, however, said the holding of a special election has a time limit.

“But remember, special elections should not be held within one year before the next elections. It has a natural time limit, being May 9, 2021,” he said.

The next national and local elections will be held in May 2022.

Jimenez also said it is the prerogative of the House leadership to just declare a caretaker.

“We are just waiting to be told to conduct special polls,” he added.

The Cebu legislator died on Monday. He was 79.

It was reported that the House named Speaker Lord Allan Velasco as legislative caretaker of del Mar’s district on Wednesday.