By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had denied the disqualification case filed against Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia by journalist Edgar Cadagat in relation to the P50 million furniture case, which was earlier dismissed by the Court of Appeals-Visayas Station in 2017 and the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division last year.
City legal officer, Atty. Joselito Bayatan, who also serves as Leonardia’s legal counsel, explained the disqualification case was presented on the basis of the Sandiganbayan decision, which pertained to a criminal case. He called it a “misrepresentation.”
He said such a case should be based on the Omnibus Election Code and not the Local Government Code.
In addition, the Comelec decision, which was handled by the Comelec second division and signed by Commissioner Luke Tito Guia, noted Cadagat was “not sure” of the grounds for disqualification.
The city official then tried to link the case to former Bacolod City Mayor Monico Puentevella, pointing out, Cadagat’s lawyer, Atty. John Francis Panoncillo, previously worked under Puentevella when the latter served as Bacolod City lone district congressman.
Last December, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal regarding the case.
According to a resolution signed by Deputy Clerk of Court and Chief Judicial Records Officer Basilia Ringol, “The court resolves to deny the petition for failure to sufficiently show that the appellate court committed any reversible error in the challenged decision.”/DGB, WDJ