By Edalyn B. Acta & Felipe V. Celino
Mayor Receliste “Tanoy” Escolin of the Municipality of President Roxas downplayed the ruling of a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge that ordered him to step down as municipal mayor.
Escolin claimed the court has no jurisdiction over the case and argued that the ruling was premature.
“To the people of President Roxas, I’m still the mayor and continue to act as the local chief executive until it becomes final,” Escolin said in a November 12, 2025 interview with The Capiz Times.
Escolin is going to file a motion for reconsideration (MOR) once he receives a copy of the court order that favored the quo warranto petition filed against him by former Sangguniang Bayan (SB) Member Bart Locsin, who lost the mayoralty race during the May 2025 elections.
Judge Joanne Marie Betita of RTC Branch 15 declared Escolin ineligible to run for reelection after completing three consecutive terms in a 20-page decision dated November 10, 2025.
The judge also disqualified Escolin from holding the mayoral post and declared the Office of the Municipal Mayor as vacant.
Escolin has long argued that his term was interrupted by the 90-day suspension imposed by the Office of the Ombudsman last year.
But RTC Branch 15 junked his interruption claim and asserted that it did not break the continuity of his three-term limit or the equivalent of nine years.
Escolin also faced an order of cancellation of his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) by the 1st Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last July.
According to Comelec Capiz, Escolin will remain mayor while the petition for COC cancellation remains pending before the Comelec En Banc.
“He was declared as the winning candidate for mayor and there was no order of suspension of proclamation. It is safe to say there is pending case against him,” said Provincial Election Supervisor Atty. Salud Milagros Villanueva.
