Pwede bang umupo sa Senado ang kandidatong nasa 13th place noong May 2016 senatorial race, sakaling mapatalsik si Senator Joel Villanueva?

Ayon kay election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, malabo.

“It is not a possibility because the 13th placer did not win last May. Only 12 won and the order of the Ombudsman does not mean that Villanueva’s win was being nullified,” paliwanag ni Macalintal. “The 13th placer was also a loser.

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No succession rule for Senate and House of Representatives,” dagdag pa nito.

Magugunita na ipinag-utos ng Ombudsman ang pagsibak kay Villanueva sa posisyon dahil sa maling paggamit ng kanyang pork barrel noong party-list congressman pa lang ang senador.

Sa Commission on Elections (Comelec), hihintayin pa umano nila ang direktiba ng Senado hinggil sa isyu.

“We will have to wait for the Senate to declare a vacancy before we can do anything,” ayon kay Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez.

Unang aabangan ng Comelec ay kung ipag-uutos ng Senado na magdaos ng special election upang mapunan ang babakantehin ni Villanueva, o hindi na. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)