MANILA — The Supreme Court has issued a status quo ante order (SQAO) in favor of Tarlac City Mayor Susan Areno Yap-Sulit, temporarily halting the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) En Banc’s ruling that disqualified her from office.

Yap-Sulit filed a petition for certiorari before the High Court, with a prayer for a temporary restraining order and/or status quo ante order, challenging the COMELEC Resolution dated October 22, 2025, which disqualified her as mayor.

Earlier, Amado S. De Leon and Jay-Ar Capulong Navarro filed a petition seeking Yap-Sulit’s disqualification from the 2025 polls, claiming she was not a resident of Tarlac City for at least one year prior to the elections.

The COMELEC Second Division had initially dismissed the petition, allowing Yap-Sulit to run and later be proclaimed as mayor. However, the COMELEC En Banc reversed the ruling on October 22, 2025, and disqualified her from holding office.

In response, the Supreme Court ordered that the situation between the parties be maintained prior to the issuance of the COMELEC En Banc Resolution while the case remains pending.

The High Court also directed the respondents to file their comment on Yap-Sulit’s petition within a non-extendible period of ten days from notice.

Copies of the available pleadings may be accessed through the Public Pleadings section of the Supreme Court website.