A DECISION on the presidential bid of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. hit another snag Friday, November 26, as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) failed to set a date on the submission of memoranda for both parties.
In a virtual press briefing, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the date for the deadline of submission of memoranda was not yet set due to pending issues that have to be resolved.
"It is like we are on a pause now. We will just have to wait for the issues to be resolved before we can ask them to submit their respective memoranda," said Jimenez.
He said one pending issue is the motion for the holding of a physical oral argument sought by the camp of Marcos.
Another issue raised, he said, is the pendency of two petitions-for-intervention relative to the case against Marcos.
On Friday, November 26, the Comelec Second Division conducted a preliminary conference on the petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Marcos filed by Fr. Christian Buenafe et al.
The process was earlier expected to result in the setting of the deadline for the submission of the written memoranda to the Comelec Second Division.
Upon submission of the respective memoranda, the case is already deemed submitted for resolution of the Comelec.
In an earlier television interview, Jimenez denied that the resolution of the case against Marcos is being delayed.
"There will be due process involved, especially if you’re trying to knock someone out of the running. When you’re trying to knock someone out of the running, they deserve the opportunity to defend themselves, defend their candidacy," he said.
"This is not about facilitating disqualification because you do not want the person. This is about finding out whether the person should be disqualified," furthered Jimenez.
Aside from the first case, three other petitions for the disqualification of Marcos are currently filed at the Comelec. (HDT/SunStar Philippines)