Batanes to Hold Special Polls After Lawmaker's Death; Comelec to Set Date

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will hold a special election for the lone congressional district of Batanes following the death of Rep. Ciriaco B. Gato, Jr. on Monday. Mr. Gato died of cardiac arrest at the age of 66. He chaired the House of Representatives Committee on Health and served as Batanes’ lone district representative since 2019. He was re-elected in 2022 and 2025 and was serving his third term when he passed. Comelec Chairman George Erwin M. Garcia said on Tuesday that the poll body had called an emergency meeting of its field officials following Mr. Gato’s death and would hold the special election no earlier than 60 days and no later than 90 days from the vacancy. “We will need to conduct a special election,” Mr. Garcia told reporters in a Viber message in Filipino. “We called an emergency meeting of our field officials today. There needs to be a special election no earlier than 60 days and no later than 90 days from yesterday,” he added. Mr. Garcia said the polls could potentially be held alongside the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) scheduled for Nov. 2, although the 60-day minimum period would not yet have elapsed by then. “If the BSKE pushes through on Nov. 2, we may be able to hold it then. Although the 60-day period would not have been met yet,” he said. The poll body has held two special elections for congressional seats so far this year. A special election for Antipolo City’s second legislative district was held on March 14 following the death of former Rep. Romeo S. Acop. His son, Philip Conrad G. Acop, won the seat. On Aug. 29, the Comelec held another special election for the lone congressional district of Dasmariñas City, Cavite. Former Mayor Jennifer “Jenny” Austria-Barzaga won the seat vacated by her son, former Rep. Francisco “Kiko” A. Barzaga, who was expelled by the House in June for disorderly behavior, conduct unbecoming of a member, and violations of the House Code of Conduct. — Mark Joseph M. Sanchez