MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) has junked the remaining petitions to reject President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s candidacy days before his inauguration at the National Museum.
The SC en banc voted 13-0 to dismiss the last two petitions to disqualify and cancel Marcos Jr.’s certificate of candidacy (COC).
“The Court held that in the exercise of its power to decide the present controversy led them to no other conclusion, but that respondent Marcos Jr. is qualified to run for and be elected to public office. Likewise, his COC (Certificate of Candidacy), being valid and in accord with the pertinent law, was rightfully upheld by the Comelec (Commission on Elections).”
SUPREME COURT
The petitioners asked the high court to overturn the election commission’s dismissal of their petition to make Marcos’ Jr. ineligible to run for the presidency based on his tax case in 1995, in which he was sentenced to serve seven years in prison and pay a fine for violating the National Internal Revenue Code.
However, the SC ruling upheld the poll body’s resolutions, dated Jan. 17 and May 10, dismissing the petitions against Marcos for lack of merit.
Marcos’ camp had earlier asserted that Filipinos have the right to choose their leaders and demanded that the petition that also requested the cancellation of his COC be dismissed.
Meanwhile, the SC also confirmed that Chief Justice Alexander Gesmundo has been requested to administer the oath of office to Marcos Jr. during his inauguration at the National Museum of the Philippines grounds in Manila on Thursday.
“We were not surprised. That (court) decision finally put an official stamp to the restoration and rehabilitation of the Marcoses.”
petitioner Bonifacio Ilagan who was jailed and tortured during Marcos senior’s martial law era (REUTERS)