Manila: The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has officially sanctioned the proclamation of Bienvenido 'Benny' Abante as the elected representative for the 6th District of Manila following the May 12 elections. This decision comes after the Comelec issued a Certificate of Finality and Entry of Judgment, which confirmed the voiding of Luis "Joey" Chua Uy's proclamation as the district's representative.

According to Philippines News Agency, the Comelec en banc's previous decision was made final, as no temporary restraining order was issued by the Supreme Court to counteract it. The commission had earlier dismissed Uy's motion for reconsideration, maintaining that there was no legal impediment preventing the execution of their resolution favoring Abante.

Uy had initially secured 64,746 votes, narrowly surpassing Abante's 63,358. However, the Comelec's decision was influenced by Uy's citizenship status. While Uy claimed to be a natural-born citizen in his certificate of candidacy, the commission identified him as a naturalized citizen, which violates the eligibility requirements stipulated in the 1987 Constitution for House representatives.

The en banc ruling highlighted that Uy did not dispute the identification certificate issued by the Bureau of Immigration, which classified him as a naturalized Filipino. This discrepancy was brought to light by Abante, challenging Uy's qualifications for the position.

Comelec Chairperson George Garcia explained that with the issuance of the Certificate of Finality and Entry of Judgment, Abante's proclamation can proceed. "This signals that the decision of the Comelec may already be implemented, wherein the Respondent is being removed and the Petitioner is being allowed to assume the post," Garcia stated in an interview.