Comelec en banc dismisses MR for petitions vs. Marcos’ candidacy

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has dismissed three petitions calling for reconsideration of the disqualification complaints against leading presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The Comelec en banc approved and released the decision on Tuesday, May 10, 2022, a day after the election.

Comelec chairman Saidamen Pangarungan and commissioners Marlon Casquejo, Socorro Inting, Aimee Ferolino, Rey Bulay and Aimee Neri all voted to dismiss the motion for reconsideration (MR).

Comelec commissioner George Garcia, who handled the electoral protest of Marcos against Robredo following the 2016 elections, did not participate.

The petitions for MR were filed by petitioners Ilagan et al., Akbayan et al. and Abubakr Mangelen, the former national chairman of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, which was taken over by Marcos ahead of his presidential candidacy.

The petitioners all cited the conviction of Marcos before a Quezon City court over multiple failure to file his income tax return from 1982 to 1985, which supposedly makes him perpetually disqualified from holding public offices.

Mangelen also argued in his petition that Marcos’ Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance is “unauthorized, defective, invalid, and void,” noting it was not approved by him.

He insisted then that he was still the duly elected chairman of the party at the time Marcos filed his candidacy.

Earlier, Garcia said the petitioners could still file an appeal before the Supreme Court.

So far, there are two more reconsideration appeals against Marcos’ candidacy that are being reviewed by the en banc following the dismissal by the Comelec second and first division.