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Supreme Court upholds Susan Yap's eligibility as Tarlac City mayor. Susan Yap/Facebook

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Kaxandra Salonga

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/1785476777920composites 2.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Supreme Court upholds Susan Yap&#x27;s eligibility as Tarlac City mayor. <em>Susan Yap/Facebook</em></span></span></span>MANILA — The Supreme Court affirmed Susan Yap’s eligibility as Tarlac City mayor by granting a bid to annul the Commission on Elections resolution that disqualified her over residency issues.</div><p>In a decision promulgated on June 3, the high tribunal&#x27;s en banc granted<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/regions/2025/11/6/yap-sulit-relieved-after-sc-decision-on-comelec-resolution-0029"> Yap-Sulit&#x27;s petition</a> and set aside the October 22, 2025 Comelec en banc resolution that cancelled her certificate of candidacy.</p><p>A disqualification petition was previously filed by Amado De Leon and Jay-Ar Navarro, who claimed Yap failed to meet the one-year residency requirement prior to the May 12, 2025 elections and that her declared residence was a commercial warehouse.</p><p>However, the Supreme Court ruled that the private respondents failed to present substantial evidence to prove she did not reside in the locality.</p><p>It also noted that the evidence presented only showed sporadic absences rather than a total lack of residency.</p><p>&quot;However, the Court is of the considered view that these only prove that petitioner is not always present in her house, however, these fall short in proving that petitioner is a non-resident of Tarlac City. There is no requirement that petitioner be in that house for 24 hours each day, seven days a week to be considered a resident,&quot; the court said.</p><p>The tribunal said Yap is well-acquainted with the area, having served three consecutive terms as governor of Tarlac with an office located at the Provincial Capitol in Tarlac City.</p><p>“The Court respects and indeed upholds the will of the electorate, not despite a candidate&#x27;s ineligibility, but because, from the evidence presented, there is no such ineligibility,” the decision read.</p><p>The Supreme Court upheld its Nov. 4, 2025 status quo ante order, which allowed Yap’s assumption as the city&#x27;s mayor.</p><p>In a statement, Yap said the decision was “a victory for every Tarlaqueño who stood by the truth and defended the sanctity of the people’s vote.”</p><p>“The journey has been long and difficult, but we never lost faith in our institutions and in the justice of our cause… the people have spoken. The law has prevailed. Our work continues,” Yap said.</p><p>“There is no room for bitterness. This is a time for healing, unity and renewed service,” she added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/7/31/comelec-exec-urges-p191-8m-fund-request-for-cavite-special-polls-1328">Comelec exec urges P191.8M fund request for Cavite special polls</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>FROM THE ARCHIVES: </strong></div><div><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/lQAzmkMzxsE?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The Supreme Court affirmed Susan Yap’s eligibility as Tarlac City mayor by granting a bid to annul the Commission on Elections resolution that disqualified her over residency issues.</p>

The Supreme Court affirmed Susan Yap’s eligibility as Tarlac City mayor by granting a bid to annul the Commission on Elections resolution that disqualified her over residency issues.

SC affirms Susan Yap's eligibility as Tarlac City mayor

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SC affirms Susan Yap's eligibility as Tarlac City mayor

Kaxandra Salonga,

ABS-CBN News

Published July 31, 2026 01:50 PM PHT

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Supreme Court

Susan Yap

Tarlac

Comelec

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