3 apela laban sa kandidatura ni Marcos, ibinasura ng Comelec

ni Lolet Abania | May 10, 2022

Dinismis na ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ngayong Martes ang tatlong apela na layong baligtarin ang pagbasura sa disqualification cases na inihain laban kay Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. mula sa 2022 presidential race.

Inilabas ng Comelec En Banc ang kanilang desisyon, isang araw matapos ang May 9 elections, kung saan ang latest partial at unofficial results nito ay nagpapakitang si Marcos ang nangunguna laban sa kanyang mga contenders para sa pagka-pangulo.

Ang tatlong motions na sakop ng desisyon ay ang inihain ni Bonifacio Ilagan, human rights advocates at martial law victims; mga miyembro ng Akbayan Citizens Action Party; at National Commission on Muslim Filipinos Commissioner Abubakar Mangelen.

Ayon sa mga petitioners, hindi dapat payagan si Marcos na tumakbo sa pagka-pangulo dahil sa kanyang conviction sa paglabag sa Internal Revenue Code kung saan anila, may kaukulang parusa ng perpetual disqualification mula sa paghawak ng anumang public office.

Ayon naman sa Comelec, nabigo ang mga petitioners na maghain ng bagong usapin o anila, “raise new matters” na maggagarantiya ng pagbaligtad sa pagbasura ng disqualification cases.

“We find no cogent reason to disturb the findings of the Commission former first division,” bahagi ng nakasaad sa resolution ng Comelec En Banc.

“Petitioners were unable to raise issues and provide grounds to convince us that, 1) the evidence is insufficient to justify the Assailed Resolution, or 20 the Assailed Resolution is contrary to the law,” dagdag nito.

Batay pa sa resolution, “that stripped of non-essentials, the instant motions for reconsideration merely contain rehash of petitioners’ assertions and arguments before the former first division”.

Paliwanag din ng Comelec, “it was settled by the commission that the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification imposed under P.D. No. 1994 cannot be applied to respondent’s tax violations committed before the effectiveness of the said law on January 1, 1986".

“Therefore, there is no basis for herein petitioners to insist that respondent is perpetually disqualified from running for public office,” pahayag ng Comelec.

“Wherefore, in view of the foregoing, the Commission en banc denies the following motions for reconsideration… Accordingly, the Commission en banc affirms the resolution of the commission former first division promulgated February 10, 2022.”

Una nang sinabi ni Comelec Commissioner George Garcia na ang mga petitioners ay maaari pa ring umapela sa Supreme Court (SC) sakaling hindi pumabor sa kanila ang desisyon.