'Kahit hanggang SC': Petitioners sa Marcos DQ case iaapela ibinasurang kaso ng Comelec
MANILA, Philippines — Iaapela ng ilang Martial Law survivors at petitioners ang disqualification case laban sa isang 2022 presidential candidate na ibinasura ng isang Commission on Elections (Comelec) division, desisyong kinekwestyon dahil sa isang tax-related conviction.
Huwebes lang nang isapubliko ng Comelec First Division ang hatol nitong i-dismiss ang disqualification petition laban kay dating Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. dahil sa "lack of merit."
"There might have been some misappreciation of the facts and of the law, so that's why we are filing for a motion for [reconsideration]," ani Howard Calleja, abogado ng petitioner na sina Bonifacio Ilagan, convenor ng Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law, Biyernes.
"If they would like to retain their ruling, which they have all the right to do... My only request is that they decide it as fast as they can so that we can bring the matter to the Supreme Court at the soonest possible time. We only have 88 or 87 days before the election."
JUST IN | Petitioner Bony Ilagan says the COMELEC 1st Division ruling against the disqualification cases vs Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. “did not uphold the letter or the spirit of the law.” Their camp says, they will be filing Motion for Reconsideration by Monday or Tuesday. pic.twitter.com/zlsLpaKuzL
— Greg Gregorio (@GVGregorio_TV5) February 11, 2022
Ika-31 ng Enero lang nang ilabas ng Comelec ang "separate opinion" ni dating Commissioner Rowena Guanzon — na kasama noon sa mga humahawak ng kaso — na dapat i-disqualify si Marcos dahil sa "moral turpitude" sa hindi paghahain ng income tax returns noong 1982-1985 na nag-resulta sa conviction ng anak ng diktador na si Ferdinand Marcos. Gayunpaman, hindi agad nailabas ang desisyon hanggang sa magretiro na lang si Guanzon.
Isa ang conviction sa krimeng may kinalaman sa "moral turpitude" sa mga grounds para ma-disqualify sa pagtakbo sa eleksyon, ayon sa Omnibus Election Code.
'Hindi mali kasi walang batas'
Kaso nang i-promulgate na ang pinal na desisyon ng First Division kahapon, iginiit na "hindi imoral" ang kabiguang maghain ng tax returns: "We submit that it is not. The failure to file tax returns is not inherently wrong in the absence of a law punishing it," ayon sa division.
"The said omission became punishable only through the enactment of the Tax Code. Moreover, even the 1977 NIRC recognizes that failure to file income tax is not a grave offense as the violation thereof may be penalized only by a fine. Though there was the penalty of imprisonment, the 1977 NIRC gave the court the discretion to either impose a fine, imprisonment, or both."
"Whether or not a crime involves moral turpitude is ultimately a question of fact and frequently depends on all the circumstances surrounding the violation of the statute. After carefully examining each argument of the parties and the circumstances surrounding Respondent's failure to file income tax, We find to rule in Respondent's favor. To determine if a crime involves moral turpitude, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that it must be approached on a case-to-case basis."
The consolidated petitions of Ilagan v. Marcos Jr., Akbayan v. Marcos Jr., and Mangelen v. Marcos Jr. have been dismissed for lack of merit, by the COMELEC's 1st Division.
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) February 10, 2022
Don’t cherry-pick. pic.twitter.com/GJhwanwJu4
— James Jimenez (@jabjimenez) February 11, 2022
Dagdag pa nila, pinarusahan lang daw noon si Marcos ng parusang multa at hindi pagkakakulong.
Walang batas vs non-filing pero convicted?
Kwinestyon naman ni Guanzon ang naturang desisyon ng First Division lalo na't malabo raw na walang batas na nalabag sa hindi paghahain ni Marcos ng ITR.
"BBM was CONVICTED in the RTC and Court of Appeals for not filing his ITR for 4 yrs," wika ng kareretiro lang na commissioner.
"There is no law punishing non filing of ITR? Why was BBM convicted then? Ang bright bright nyo naman."
BBM was CONVICTED in the RTC and Court of Appeals for not filing his ITR for 4 yrs. There is no law punishing non filing of ITR? Why was BBM convicted then? Ang bright bright nyo naman.
— Rowena Guanzon (@rowena_guanzon) February 10, 2022
Kwinestyon din ni dating Supreme Court spokesperson Theodore Te, na abogado ng isa pang petisyon laban kay Marcos, bilang absurdo ang ganitong desisyon ng Comelec.
Kapag ganito raw kasi, tila ipinahihiwatig na hindi na dapat mag-file ng ITR ang lahat ng tao "dahil walang nalalabag na batas."
"So Comelec says there's no need to file ITRs anymore because there's no law punishing non-filing?" wika niya sa isang tweet kagabi.
"I'm sure they meant that as a general statement for everyone and not just for 'you know who' because they're not, you know, biased."
So Comelec says there's no need to file ITRs anymore because there's no law punishing non-filing? I'm sure they meant that as a general statement for everyone and not just for "you know who" because they're not, you know, biased.
— Ted Te (@TedTe) February 10, 2022
Una nang sinabi ni Guanzon na isang makapangyarihang "senador" daw mula sa Davao ang nasa likod ng delay sa hatol sa Marcos case, dahilan para pagdudan nang marami ang ponente ng kaso na si Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, na taga-Davao din.
"Many years ago meron pong nangyaring 'Hello Garci' sa Comelec. 'Yun po ay isang malinaw na manipestasyon ng batayan ng aming pagdududa [sa integridad ngayon ng Comelec]," wika ni Ilagan.
Ang "Hello Garci" scandal ay tumutukoy sa diumano'y pandarayang nangyasri sa 2004 national elections para paboran si noo'y Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
'Dura sa mukha ng common sense'
Dismayado naman si vice presidential candidate Walden Bello sa Comelec decision kaugnay ng nabanggit na "criminal tax evasion" ni Bongbong.
"[It] spits in the face of common sense and basic morality. This is shown in their extremely insulting justification that 'failure to file ITRs is not inherently wrong in the absence of a law punishing it," wika ni Bello sa isang hiwalay na statement.
"This development is disappointing but not surprising. The laws of this land have long bent over backwards to serve those with money — and the pockets of the murderous Marcoses run very deep with funds they stole from hardworking Filipino people."
"Once again, f*** you, Marcos!"
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