Comelec ruling on cases vs Marcos out in April
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections has committed to resolve the pending cases related to presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in the next month.
Comelec Commissioner George Garcia in a streamed press conference on Thursday said he was informed by Comelec Chairman Saidamen Pangarungan that he is committing that “before the end of April, a decision by the en banc will be forthcoming.”
“A decision in these cases, the consolidated cases as well as the case with motion for reconsideration will be decided before the election, but earlier, even before the end of April,” Garcia added.
This means that a decision may be released at the earliest in the second week of April and at the latest, the third week of April.
The newly appointed commissioner stressed that he was not privy to the discussion of the cases as he had long recused from deliberations of the said cases since he was a former legal counsel of Marcos.
A total of seven legal challenges were filed to block Marcos’ presidential bid.
The Comelec’s Second Division junked the petition to cancel Marcos’ Certificate of Candidacy filed by Martial Law victims, through lawyer Theodore Te. The group filed an appeal on the dismissal of their plea to the en banc.
Petitioners seeking Marcos’ disqualification — Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party and the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses (CARMMA) and Martial Law survivor Bonifacio Ilagan — have also filed their motion for reconsideration on February 15.
At least one more disqualification case, filed by Pudno nga Ilokano, is pending at the division level.
The petitions are anchored on Marcos’ conviction of failure to file Income Tax Returns for four years.
The challenges filed against Marcos’ presidential bid are expected to reach the Supreme Court.
Marcos and his tandem, vice presidential aspirant Sara Duterte, remain frontrunners in pre-elections survey as they enjoy double-digit leads over their rivals.
Counsel for petitioners Ted Te says Marcos, a presidential aspirant, is yet to submit a verified answer to the Commission on Elections' summons about the petitions against his candidacy, seeking instead an extension for filing.
Marcos and his lawyers supposedly have until November 16 to file their answer, reports Kristine Joy Patag.
Comelec Commissioner Saidamen Pangarungan says the poll body commissioners "hail the decision of the Supreme Court to finally put to rest questions on the eligibility and validity of the certificate of candidacy (COC) of President-Elect Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. upholding the resolutions of the COMELEC en banc under my watch."
Pangarungan says he views the SC's ruling as "concurrence to our legal reasoning."
A source tells Philstar.com that Supreme Court justices voted 13-0 to junk the petitions challenging the candidacy of president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who is set to be inaugurated in two days.
We're still waiting for official confirmation from the SC Public Information Office, but with a vote of 13-0, this means two justices took no part in the voting. — Kristine Joy Patag
The legal challenge against candidacy of Bongbong Marcos, presumptive president-elect, reaches the Supreme Court.
Petitioners, led by Atty. Ted Te, seeking the cancellation of his certificate of candidacy, filed their petition on Monday.
"[A] candidate’s putative election victory cannot subsequently cure his ineligibility. Elections are more than just a numbers game such that an election victory cannot bypass election eligibility requirements," petitioners tell the high court. — Kristine Joy Patag
The camp of presidential bet Bongbong Marcos says they are "happy" to receive the news of the Comelec's decision to dismiss the disqualification cases against the latter.
"The unanimous En Banc decision has proven, once and for all, that no amount of undue political pressure can weaken the resolve of the honorable Commission to be on the side of truth and justice," Marcos spokesperson Vic Rodriguez says.
The Commission on Elections' First Division is allowing Bongbong Marcos Jr. to run for president, spokesperson James Jimenez announces in a tweet.
, poll body commissioners, have dismissed the consolidated disqualification case in a 43-page decision, citing "lack of merit."
The cases challenged Marcos' candidacy, citing his conviction for failing to submit his income tax returns for several years in the 1980s.
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