The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chair Atty. George Garcia has confirmed that its en banc has canceled the certificate of candidacy of Tarlac City Mayor Susan Yap due to questions over her residency.

The decision follows the Commission’s finding that the information declared regarding her residence was not truthful.

As a result, the vice mayor will assume the mayoralty, not the second placer, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s Mangudadatu vs. COMELEC ruling.

The Comelec clarified that this ruling, issued in June 2025, abandoned the long-standing second placer rule that allowed the runner-up to take office when a winning candidate was disqualified or had their candidacy canceled.

Under this new doctrine, the rule of succession now applies — meaning that in cases of disqualification or cancellation of candidacy, the next-in-line elected official, such as the vice mayor or vice governor, automatically takes over the vacated position.

In the case of Tarlac City, the Comelec applied the Mangudadatu precedent and directed that the vice mayor succeed Yap. The poll body expects that the disqualified mayor will bring the matter before the Supreme Court, which could issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) or reexamine the doctrine itself.

The commission noted that this case will serve as a test of the Mangudadatu Doctrine’s validity and its implications for future disqualification and cancellation cases. Should the Supreme Court revisit or modify the doctrine, the Comelec said it would abide by whatever final interpretation the high court provides.

Until then, the Comelec maintains that its decision in Tarlac is consistent with current jurisprudence and the guidance set by the Supreme Court.