Koko Pimentel to Challenge Comelec Ruling on Marcy Teodoro’s Candidacy Before Supreme Court
Outgoing Senator Koko Pimentel announced that he will file a petition before the Supreme Court challenging the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc’s decision to reverse the disqualification of Marikina Mayor Marcy Teodoro.
The Comelec’s reversal clears the way for Teodoro’s proclamation as the congressman-elect of Marikina’s First District—a move Pimentel strongly contests.
“That’s the plan,” Pimentel confirmed. “What is right here? Can someone who left the district in February 2024 and returned only in September 2024 still be eligible to run for congressman in the May 2025 elections?”
Comelec, in its decision, emphasized that the law looks at a candidate’s domicile—defined as a “true, fixed, and permanent” home—when determining residency requirements. The poll body ruled that Teodoro’s brief relocation to the second district did not sever his legal domicile in the first.
Pimentel insists the issue goes beyond technical definitions. “Residency requirements exist to ensure genuine representation,” he said.
Observers now await how the Supreme Court will interpret the nuances of domicile versus actual residence in this high-profile electoral dispute.
