The Commission on Elections (Comelec) En Banc has upheld its earlier ruling declaring Bienvenido “Benny” Abante as the duly elected representative of Manila’s 6th District in the 2025 midterm elections, officially annulling the proclamation of initial poll winner Luis “Joey” Chua Uy.
In a 12-page resolution issued on June 30, the Comelec denied Uy’s motion for reconsideration, which challenged the June 18 decision that voided his certificate of candidacy. The ruling stated that Uy, a naturalized Filipino citizen, is not constitutionally qualified to run for or hold a seat in the House of Representatives, which requires natural-born citizenship.
“Petitioner Bienvenido ‘Benny’ Abante, Jr., the only qualified candidate who garnered the highest number of votes, is hereby declared as the duly elected Member of the House of Representatives,” the En Banc declared.
The decision follows Abante’s earlier petition challenging Uy’s eligibility on citizenship grounds.
Meanwhile, Comelec Chairperson George Garcia noted that procedural issues are still under review. He plans to meet with the Office of the Solicitor General to seek clarification on a Supreme Court ruling, which states that second-placers in elections cannot be proclaimed winners in the event of a disqualified first-placer.
“This isn’t about reversing the ruling, but simply seeking clarification from the Supreme Court,” Garcia emphasized.