NEWSFLASH

PASAY RECALL ELECTION ON APRIL 15

Manila, March 10, 2000 - The Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced yesterday that the Pasay City mayoralty recall elections will be held on April 15,.

In a press conference, Comelec chairman Harriet Demetriou said the filing of certificates of candidacy will be from March 15 to 17, and the campaign period will be from March 15 to April 13. The election period, Demetriou said, will last up to April 28.

The constitution and submission of boards of election inspectors and boards of canvassers will be from March 22 to April 5. Scheduled from March 22 to April 15 is the posting of voters’ lists.

Other recall elections for the mayoralty in the municipalities of Mercedes, Camarines Norte and Sta. Rita, Samar will be announced later, the Comelec said. The date for recall elections for vice mayor of General Tinio, Nueva Ecija, will also be announced soon.

In Pasay City, incumbent Pasay City Mayor Jovito Claudio is expected to run again. Expected to contest the mayor’s seat are Ricardo "Ding" Santos the retired chief security aide of former Pasay City Mayor Pablo Cuneta, who ran in the 1998 mayoralty elections against Claudio; and Pewee Trinidad, former Vice Mayor who also ran against Claudio in 1998.

The Comelec commissioners said Claudio does not need to resign once he files his certificate of candidacy since he is running for the same position.

On the other hand, if Vice Mayor Greg Alcera also runs, he will have to resign, Comelec officials said. And if he loses, the position of vice mayor will go to the Pasay councilor who had the highest number of votes during the 1998 elections.

The Comelec said if Claudio loses, his term ends after the winning candidate for mayor is proclaimed.

Pasay City has 213,198 registered voters as of January 2000, voting in 1,398 precincts of 201 barangays. The city has two congressional districts