The Commission on Elections (Comelec) upheld the dismissal of two sets of petitions, for a total of four appeals, attempting to prohibit the late dictator’s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. from running for president in 2022 based on a tax conviction in the 1990s.
The decision was issued on Tuesday, May 10, a day after the polls, when a preliminary, unofficial tally revealed that the former senator was on track to win the presidency.
The judgment did not sound surprising, since five of the seven-member Comelec en banc had previously voted in favor of the former senator in at least one of the four anti-Marcos petitions that had already been dismissed at the division level.
The petitioners can yet make one more Hail Mary before the Supreme Court, that will issue a final decision on the case.
The Comelec en banc firmly decided 6-0-1 to affirm the poll body’s previous decisions.
Commissioner George Garcia, who represented Marcos Jr. before joining the commission, recused himself from the case.
The following petitions were junked:
- Buenafe et al vs Marcos (petition to cancel certificate of candidacy) – junked by the Second Division
- Ilagan et al vs Marcos, Akbayan et al vs Marcos, Mangelen vs Marcos (consolidated disqualification petition) – junked by the First Division
The majority of the petitions focused on the effects of Marcos Jr.’s tax conviction in the 1990s, after he continually failed to submit his income tax returns while serving as vice governor and governor of Ilocos Norte in the 1980s.
The Comelec is still focusing on two cases:
- Lihaylihay vs Marcos (petition to declare nuisance) – junked by the Second Division, subject of en banc review
- Salandanan et al vs Marcos (disqualification petition) – junked by the First Division, subject of en banc review
