The Commission on Elections first division recently canceled the proclamation of Jason Gonzales, mayor of Lambunao, Iloilo, after questions of his residency were raised in a disqualification petition brought forward by former Lambunao Mayor Vicente Ramirez.

According to Ramirez, who unsuccessfully ran for vice mayor in 2016, Gonzales did not satisfy the one-year residency required to run for municipal office.

Gonzales, who plans to file a motion for reconsideration, claimed, after resigning as an Iloilo City councilor in October 2015, visits to his father, former Mayor Reynor Gonzales, justified his residency.

Last month, Vice Mayor Cesar Gonzales was dismissed from his post by the Office of the Ombudsman after being found guilty on misconduct charges.

He and the incumbent mayor’s father were earlier charged with graft by the Sandiganbayan after reportedly receiving transportation allowances of a total P90,000 and P83,880, respectively, throughout 2014, which were disallowed by the Commission on Audit (COA)./WDJ