Poll body junks DQ motion against Marcos
By Joseph Cuevas
The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) yesterday junked the remaining motions for reconsideration on the disqualification cases against Ferdinand “BongBong” Marcos Jr.
The COMELEC en banc voted 6-0 with one abstention affirming their previous ruling junking the remaining three petitions filed by Bonifacio Ilagan and Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial law (CARMMA), Akbayan Citizens Action Party and Abubakar Mangelen of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos.
The poll body said that petitioners failed to ‘raise new matters” that would warrant the reversal of junking the disqualification cases.
In a statement, CARMMA said that the junking of the petitions has only affirmed what they have suspected all along: that it was simply bidding time to uphold the lies and historical distortion of the Marcoses and preempt their next move.
“By allowing a convict and liar like Marcos Jr. to run for public office is already a slap on the faces of all the victims who suffered unspeakable atrocities under the Marcos dictatorship. With Marcos Jr.’s now-questionable win in the 2022 national elections, the Comelec en banc’s decision rubs salt on the wounds of injustice,” the group said.
CARMMA said it is determined to challenge the case in the Supreme Court and assert that a convict, liar, and tax evader like Marcos Jr. should have never been allowed to run for public office, let alone the highest position in the land.
Political prisoners support group Kapatid also vowed to question before the Supreme Court the poll body’s decision.
In a statement, Fides Lim, spokesperson of Kapatid, said that, “Our lawyers will now go to the Supreme Court to challenge the Comelec decision that summarily and belatedly dismissed our petition though the Comelec had ample time to decide on our petition way before Election Day.”
“Marcos Jr.’s prior criminal conviction involves perpetual disqualification from public office. His projected presidential win does not absolve him from this immutable fact nor does it detract a bit from the fundamental principles of truth, honesty, accountability and integrity demanded of any person who seeks the highest office in land. This is the core of our petition,” Lim added.
Marcos Jr. is currently leading in the presidential race against opposition’s frontrunner Vice President Leni Robredo. #