The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division on Monday rejected a petition that sought to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of presidential frontrunner Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
It said they found no intention on his part “to deceive the electorate.”
The division, composed of commissioners Socorro Inting, Antonio Kho Jr., and newly-appointed Rey Bulay, denied the petition filed by civil society leaders who accused the late dictator’s son of lying in his COC and the ruling said Marcos “did not deliberately attempt to mislead, misinform, or deceive the electorate” when he declared in his COC that he is eligible for public office.
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Inting said that, “[When] respondent declared in… his COC that he is eligible for public office for which he seeks to be elected, he was essentially speaking the truth.”
Rejecting the petitioners’ argument that Marcos is perpetually barred from holding government post due to his conviction for failure to file mandatory income tax returns from 1982 to 1985,.
Inting said that the Court of Appeals’ eventual ruling on Marcos’ tax case did not categorically convict Marcos of a crime involving moral turpitude.
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“There is likewise no definitive declaration by said decision that… respondent is perpetually disqualified from holding public office,” Inting said.
The second division also said that the petition should have been summarily dismissed because it invoked grounds on both disqualification and cancellation of COC, but they relaxed the rules and decided based on the merits of the case.
Ted Te, lawyer of the petitioners, said they will appeal the ruling before the Comelec en banc.
