Baguio City: The Commission on Elections in the Cordillera Administrative Region (Comelec-CAR) announced that a vacancy will be declared if the reelected Benguet Lone District Representative, Eric Yap, is not proclaimed before the official start of his term on June 30. Yap is currently facing seven disqualification cases concerning his citizenship, alleged violations of the Fair Elections Act, and accusations of vote buying. As a result, his proclamation, initially scheduled for May 13, has been suspended.

According to Philippines News Agency, Comelec-CAR Director Julius Torres, in a media interview, stated that if the winning candidate is not proclaimed in time, Congress has the option to declare a vacancy and either appoint a caretaker or conduct a special election. Yap secured 144,093 votes against his closest contender, Vice Governor Ericson Felipe, who garnered 62,371 votes.

Director Torres expressed his hope that the Comelec central office would resolve the matter before the term begins. “Ginagawa ng ahensiya ang mga hakbang upang maresolba ang usapin (The agency is making steps to resolve the issue),” he said, emphasizing that the decision to hold a special election or appoint a caretaker lies with Congress.

Eric Yap, who was appointed as the caretaker of the Benguet congressional district following the death of Nestor Fongwan in 2019, was first elected as a representative in 2022. Torres clarified that the losing candidate cannot be appointed as a replacement or a caretaker in the event of a vacancy declaration.

In response to the disqualification cases, Yap revealed in a social media post that his camp has filed perjury charges against those who lodged complaints against him.