PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is facing another disqualification petition filed by leaders of Akbayan Partylist together with various sectoral leaders and martial law victims-survivors.
The said petition echoed the disqualification cases filed earlier to shoot Marcos' certificate of candidacy for president, which cited his conviction in 1995 over multiple failure to file his income tax return from 1982 to 1985, making him "perpetually disqualified from holding public offices."
"To allow the Comelec to wait for a person to file a petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy of one suffering from perpetual special disqualification will result in the anomaly that these cases so grotesquely exemplify,” the Akbayan said in a statement.
“The Comelec will be grossly remiss in its constitutional duty to 'enforce and administer all laws' relating to the conduct of elections if it does not motu proprio bar from running for public office those suffering from perpetual special disqualification by virtue of a final judgment," it added.
Marcos earlier assured supporters that he will not back out nor slide down amid the filing of several petitions against his candidacy.
There is no schedule yet for the preliminary conference on the disqualification petition as the Commission on Elections is still resolving two motions tied to the case.
Comelec Spokesperson James Jimenez said issuing a decision on the petition filed against Marcos’ candidacy may take longer than expected.