Thirteen years after a similar case was filed against then Governor Joseph Cua, he and his brother, Vice Governor Peter Cua, are both the subject of separate disqualification suits filed by their poll rivals before the Commission on Election to derail their respective candidacies in the upcoming May 12, 2025 national and local elections.
Last Jan. 7, 2025, gubernatorial candidate Patrick Alain T. Azanza filed before the Comelec a petition for disqualification against Vice Gov. Cua, alleging mainly that the latter is a Chinese citizen as his father Fernando S. Cua and mother Asuncion Cua are both Chinese citizens.
The suit cited as evidence the vice governor’s Certificate of Live Birth with Local Civil Registrar No. 192 issued by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
Early last month, Atty. Sinforoso Sarmiento M. Sarmiento Jr., who is seeking to reclaim the Virac mayoral seat, filed a similar petition against his chief rival, Gov. Cua, who he claimed is purely a Chinese citizen on the basis of his birth certificate indicating that both of his parents are Chinese citizens.
Both Azanza and Sarmiento’s petitions were filed by their common counsel, Sarmiento Tamayo & Bulawan Law Offices with Atty. Ramil Joselito B. Tamayo signing the petitions on behalf of their two clients.
Atty. Tamayo’s brother, Rev. Fr. Leonardo B. Tamayo Jr., acted as chief of staff of Congressman Eulogio R. Rodriguez for several months after assuming office in 2022.
After the priest’s return to the Archdiocese of Regina in Saskatchewan, Canada where is based, his post was taken over by two individuals before it was given to the former chief of staff of ex-Congressman Cesar V. Sarmiento.
The former Virac mayor, Atty. Sarmiento, is also the chief political strategist of Cong. Rodriguez while the other petitioner, Dr. Azanza, is believed to be the solon’s candidate for governor.
The Cua camp has yet to issue an official statement on the twin petitions but a source identified with the political alliance said that they expected the filing of the cases which are already being handled by their legal team.
It may be recalled that in October 2012, about seven months before the May 2013 elections, then gubernatorial candidate Larry S. Que filed before the COMELEC First Division a Petition to Deny Due Course and to Cancel Certificate of Candidacy against then reelectionist governor Joseph C. Cua.
Through lawyers of fellow candidate Araceli Bernardino-Wong, Que alleged that the governor falsely represented in his Certificate of Candidacy (COC) that he is a naturalized Filipino citizen when in fact he is a Chinese national, as borne out by his Birth Certificate issued by the National Statistics Office on Oct. 12, 2012.
He attached as evidence a copy of Cua’s birth certificate that, Que stressed, indicated that at the time of his birth on Oct. 16, 1962 in San Andres to Chinese parents Fernando and Asuncion Qua, he was a Chinese citizen.
Que, who was Cua’s classmate in Chinese school, prayed to the Commission that Cua be declared ineligible to run for governor and that his COC be denied and cancelled, as fraud also attended the naturalization of Cua’s father.
The petitioner said Fernando assumed the name Chua which was later claimed to have been misspelled and likewise alleged that undue influence was exerted on the local civil registrar to make illegal amendments on the governor’s birth certificate without a court order.
In denying Que’s petition for lack of merit, the COMELEC First Division stated, after a review of the entire records, respondent Cua had “abundantly shown” by his documentary exhibits that he is a naturalized Filipino citizen and is qualified to run for the elective post he is seeking.
It said the accusation of undue influence over the MCR is complete speculative and that the certification by the Bureau of Immigration that the respondent Joseph Chua Qua was naturalized as a Filipino citizen coupled with his Philippine passport and other documents enjoy the presumption of regularity.
Despite the dismissal by COMELEC of the disqualification case, then reelectionist Governor Cua lost to Wong due to the issue’s negative impact on his campaign.