Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila. FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Election (Comelec) second division gave five days for both petitioners and respondent presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to submit their memoranda on the first disqualification case after which, it will then be resolved.
Comelec commissioner Socorro Inting, in an order dated December 13, told both camps to submit their respective memoranda five days from the receipt of the order.
“[T]he case is deemed submitted for resolution after the lapse of the given period with or without the parties’ memoranda,” the order read.
In the same order, the poll body also denied the request of petitioners to order the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Quezon City Regional Trial Court to produce documents pertaining to his tax case in 1995.
The Comelec 2nd Division also rejected Marcos Jr.’s camp’s request for a face-to-face hearing.
It noted that the request of both parties are “no longer necessary” because it would only “result to unnecessary delay which is inconsistent with the summary nature of this case.”
“Considering the foregoing, the Commission (Second Division) holds that no further proceedings are to be taken in this case,” the order read.
It can be recalled that the petitioners alleged that Marcos Jr. is not eligible to run for any public office saying the Quezon City RTC 1995 conviction for his failure to file income tax returns could be considered as grounds for moral turpitude, which can be grounds to disqualify him from running for presidency.
Marcos Jr’s camp, however, said the conviction does not constitute moral turpitude.
There are six other cases filed before the Comelec seeking to challenge Marcos Jr’s presidential bid.
Another petition was filed to cancel his COC, then a petition to declare him as nuisance candidate, as well as four other disqualification cases.
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