Comelec junks MR of Joey Uy, declares Benny Abante winner of Manila 6th District race

The Commission on Elections en banc has junked the motion for reconsideration of Luis “Joey” Chua Uy, which seeks to reverse the 2nd Division’s ruling to suspend his proclamation for not being a natural-born Filipino. 

In the resolution, the Comelec 2nd Division ruled Uy is, at most, a naturalized Filipino citizen “hence, he is not qualified to run for or hold the position of Member of the House of Representatives.”

It said when Chua Uy was born on March 15, 1962, his father was a Chinese citizen “who became a naturalized Filipino on 28 August 1967.” His mother, meanwhile, was "a Filipino citizen prior to her marriage in January 1944” to his father who is a Chinese national.

The poll body said Bienvenido “Benny” Mirando Abante Jr is declared as the duly elected representative of Manila’s 6th District as “the only qualified candidate who garnered the highest number of votes.”

Uy earlier said he is a Filipino, being born in Sta. Mesa, Manila to a mother who is natural-born Filipino and a father who is a naturalized Filipino.

“Kung ang inyong ina ay natural-born at ang Pilipinas ang iyong lupang sinilangan, 'di ba, natural-born Filipino. Ako po ay Pilipino,” he said in a statement. 

“Lumaki, nag-aral, naninirahan, nagsilbi at patuloy akong nagsisilbi sa aking mahal na lungsod ng Maynila bilang konsehal nang ilang termino mula pa noong 2004,” he added.