MANILA — Deputy Speaker Ronaldo Puno of Antipolo City on Friday welcomed the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) plan to hold a special election to fill the vacant seat left by the late Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, stressing that the poll is a legal mandate of the poll body.

“Nakita ko ‘yung communications diyan. Ang election ay parang sini-set nila for March 14, tapos yung filing of Certificates of Candidacy will be Feb. 5 and 6 (I saw the communications. The special election will be on March 14, while the filing of COC will be Feb. 5 and 6),” Puno, National Unity Party (NUP) chairman, said in a press conference.

He clarified that while Comelec informed Congress of the planned special election, any request for additional funding is routed to Malacañang, not the House of Representatives.

“Yung paghingi nila ng additional pondo ay sa Office of the President, hindi sa Congress… Sumulat sila sa Congress, ini-inform lang nila ‘yung Congress na ito ‘yung ginagawa nila… Pero kasi sa jurisprudence dyan, wala nang karapatan ng Congress magsabi ng kahit ano (The request for additional funds is to the OP not Congress. They just informed Congress what they are doing. But jurisprudence says Congress no longer has a say),” he said.

“Obligado na ‘yung Comelec (The Comelec is obliged) to do this, it is a mandate, it is an obligation on their part,” Puno added.

Puno also disclosed that the NUP is preparing a major organizational reset in Cavite, including the dissolution of the Dasmariñas chapter following the departure of its chapter head, suspended Rep. Francisco “Kiko” Barzaga.

“Yung congressman umalis na sa partido. So, kung baga wala ng leader ‘yan, wala naman kami reports na natatanggap, wala naman silang inirekomenda na kapalit niya. So idi-disolve muna namin ‘yung NUP chapter sa Dasmariñas (The congressman has already left the party. The chapter is leaderless, so to speak. There are no reports and no replacement recommended. So we will dissolve the NUP chapter in Dasmariñas),” he said.

He added that a new local chapter may be established with different members. “Siguro magtatayo kami ng bagong chapter na iba ‘yung mga tao doon. So kung matuloy ‘yan, by Monday lahat ng NUP members in Dasmariñas (We may establish a new chapter composed of different personalities. If that pushes through, by Monday all NUP members in Dasmariñas) will be removed from the party,” Puno said.