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The Supreme Court building in Padre Faura, Manila on August 24, 2022. George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News

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Adrian Ayalin

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/178779621171720220824-supreme-court-facade-GC-9 (1).jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">The Supreme Court building in Padre Faura, Manila on August 24, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Supreme Court has affirmed <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/22/sc-abandons-second-placer-rule-when-winner-is-disqualified-1417">its earlier ruling which abandoned the &quot;second placer&quot; rule </a>in cases when the winner in an election for a local post is eventually disqualified.</p><p>In the decision of the en banc promulgated on August 26, 2026, the court denied with finality the motion for reconsideration filed by Datu Pax Ali Mangudadatu.</p><p>The court held that the resulting vacancy because of the disqualification of Mangudadatu should be filled by the Vice Governor.</p><p>The SC emphasized that no law authorizes the second placer rule, which refers to the practice of declaring the candidate who received the second-highest number of votes as the winner if the candidate with the highest number of votes is later disqualified or found ineligible.</p><p>The court stated that for local elective positions covered by the Local Government Code (LGC), the vacancy is filled through the rule on succession, not by proclaiming the second placer as the winner.</p><p>“Accordingly, the Vice Governor succeeds to the position of Governor for the remainder of the term,” the court said in the decision.  </p><p>The court qualified that the ruling is limited to local elective positions covered by the LGC and did not address the application of the second placer rule or succession rules for national elective positions which were not raised before the court.</p><p>The SC however stressed that the Constitution is clear on successions for President and Vice President.</p><p>The ruling applies to pending cases, the high court also said, stressing that second placers have no vested right or entitlement to be declared the winner.</p><p>&quot;The second placer lost in the elections. He or she was not the choice of the people,&quot; it said.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>OTHER NEWS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_WsFGT4qMk4?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>The Supreme Court has affirmed <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/6/22/sc-abandons-second-placer-rule-when-winner-is-disqualified-1417">its earlier ruling which abandoned the "second placer" rule </a>in cases when the winner in an election for a local post is eventually disqualified.</p>

The Supreme Court has affirmed its earlier ruling which abandoned the "second placer" rule in cases when the winner in an election for a local post is eventually disqualified.

SC upholds abandonment of 'second placer' rule for local elective positions

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SC upholds abandonment of 'second placer' rule for local elective positions

Adrian Ayalin,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 27, 2026 10:38 AM PHT

|

Updated August 27, 2026 10:55 AM PHT

Read More:

Supreme Court

Second Placer Rule

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