Comelec proclaims Uy as Zambo del Norte 1st District rep

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) officially proclaimed Roberto “Pinpin” Uy Jr. as representative of the First District Zamboanga del Norte following a Supreme Court ruling in favor of him.

This also confirms that the initial decision of the Comelec to suspend Uy’s proclamation was erroneous, which the SC affirmed. SC’s decision has become final and executory when it issued the Writ of Execution dated October 27, 2023.

The Comelec’s proclamation comes after the legal battle that lasted more than a year, unseating incumbent Rep. Romeo Jalosjos Jr.

“I am honored by this proclamation and the trust that the people of the 1st District of Zamboanga del Norte have placed in me. I am committed to working tirelessly to bring back the old glory of our beloved province. I will stand by the Uy legacy of good governance, and result-oriented and people-centered style of leadership,” Uy said. 

“Together, we will address the challenges our community faces and work towards a brighter future for all,” he added.

Uy garnered the highest votes during the May 2022 elections with 69,591, edging Jalosjos (R. Jalosjos), who received 69,109 votes. The other candidates Frederico Jalosjos and Richard Amazon received 5,424 and 288 votes, respectively. 

The case stemmed from the Provincial Board of Canvassers’ (PBOC) move to declare R. Jalosjos as the winning candidate after the votes of F. Jalosjos, who was declared a nuisance candidate, were credited to him. This brought his votes up to roughly 75,000.

The High Court ruled that the suspension order was issued based on R. Jalosjos’ bare allegations, and in effect, declared that F. Jalosjos is not a nuisance candidate. Ultimately, this led to the proclamation of Uy as the district’s representative.

Uy is the former mayor of Polanco.