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TV host-dancer Lucy Torres-Gomez is replacing her husband Richard Gomez, who was disqualified due to lack of one-year residence qualification, as the Liberal Party's candidate in the congressional race in Ormoc, Leyte, reports GMANews.tv.

The Gomez family discussed the decision for about a week, according to PEP.ph. "Ang gusto naman natin sa simula't simula pa lang ay magsilbi. We want to fight corruption. We want to help the people… Kami naman ni Lucy ay iisa ang layunin para sa Ormoc," Richard told PEP.ph. "Pinag-usapan namin ni Lucy ito. She's more than willing to serve the town kung saan siya ipinanganak at lumaki. Sabi nga niya, 'You will be my adviser.'" Lucy told 24 Oras, as reported by GMANews.tv, "When they were very persistent with the disqualification case, there were already talks that it may come to this, I may have to substitute. We're ready, we're prepared." In February, the Commission on Elections disqualified Richard from running for Congress in the fourth district of Leyte for "lack of residency." It was a former Ormoc barangay chairman, Buenaventura Juntilla, who filed the petition for disqualification. Juntilla said Richard resides in Greenhills, San Juan and not in Can Adien, Ormoc as written on Richard's certificate of candidacy. To this, Richard said "he and his family have been living in Ormoc since 2007," according to ABS-CBNNews.com. He accused rival Winnie Codilla as the one who was behind the disqualification case. Richard filed a motion for consideration in February but the case is still pending to this day. "Instead na hintayin natin ang desisyon, heto ang pinakamainam na solusyon," Richard told PEP.ph. "We will not wait for en banc decision to come out. That way we will not have to go to the Supreme Court to fight another battle and spend more money, time and effort if we win this election," Richard told ABS-CBNNews.com. The replacement is supported by the Comelec Resolution 8678 cited by PEP.ph: "Substitutes for candidates who have died, suffered permanent incapacity, or were disqualified by final judgment, may file their certificates of candidacy up to mid-day of election day, or May 10, 2010."