The Philippine Supreme Court en banc has affirmed Susan Areno Yap-Sulit as the duly elected Mayor of Tarlac City, the capital of Tarlac province in Central Luzon, overturning a Commission on Elections (Comelec) resolution that had canceled her certificate of candidacy.

In its notice of judgment issued Friday, the Court declared: "The Court respects, and indeed upholds the will of the electorate, not despite a candidate's ineligibility, but because, from the evidence presented, there is no such ineligibility."

The ruling annulled the Comelec en banc resolution dated October 22, 2025, which had canceled Ms. Yap-Sulit's candidacy and eligibility to run in the 2025 mayoral race over questions about her residency. Under Philippine election law, candidates for local elective posts must be residents of the locality where they seek office for at least one year immediately preceding election day. She subsequently appealed to the Supreme Court, contending that the commission had disregarded substantial evidence of her domicile and longstanding ties to Tarlac City.

On November 4, 2025, the Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order permitting Ms. Yap-Sulit to continue performing her mayoral duties while the case was pending.

On June 3, the Court determined that the evidence against Ms. Yap-Sulit was insufficient to prove she had abandoned her domicile in Tarlac or made a false representation in her certificate of candidacy. The justices also cited her three consecutive terms as Governor of Tarlac and her deep personal, political, and community ties to the province.

In a statement, Ms. Yap-Sulit described the ruling as a victory not only for her administration but also for the constituents who placed their trust in her leadership.

"The journey has been long and difficult, but we never lost faith in our institutions and in the justice of our cause," she said. "From the beginning, we maintained that I met the legal qualifications to serve and that the people of Tarlac City had freely expressed their choice."

"I am deeply grateful to the justices for their careful and impartial review of the evidence and the law. The people have spoken, the law has prevailed, and our work continue," she added.

Ms. Yap-Sulit previously served as representative of the 2nd District of Tarlac in the Philippine House of Representatives from 2010 to 2016 before serving three consecutive terms as provincial governor. She was elected Mayor of Tarlac City in 2025, defeating Victor Angeles, husband of former Mayor Cristy Angeles.

— Almira Louise S. Martinez