Poll bet faces disqualification for padding barangay voters' list

For issuing barangay certificates to non-residents, a barangay chairman from Cagayan de Oro City faces a disqualification complaint and may no longer be able to run in next year's congressional race.

- By MAYEN JAYMALIN

In a 16-page petition, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Legal Department sought the disqualification of Rainier Joaquin Uy, who is running for representative of the 1st District of Cagayan de Oro City in the May 2025 polls.

According to the Comelec law department, Uy "willfully and maliciously" employed the fraudulent scheme of issuing barangay certifications even to non-residents of Barangay Carmen to influence and induce them to register as voters in that barangay, to purposely give due advantage to his candidacy for the elections.

The law department said there was an "implausible influx" of applications for registration in Barangay Carmen and unexplainable number of applicants, who used barangay certifications issued by Uy in support of their application for registration.

It further noted that the procedure done for issuance of barangay certifications was marked by inconsistencies and irregularities.