Decision on Marcos DQ case delayed as COVID-19 hits Comelec staff

Bongbong Marcos

MANILA, Philippines — The release of the decision on Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s disqualification cases will be delayed after some of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) staff were tested positive for COVID-19.

Comelec Director 3 Elaiza Sabile-David said Monday the staff members are under the office of one of the Comelec commissioners handling the Marcos cases.

“Unfortunately, wala pa (none yet),” Sabile-David told Teleradyo when asked if the decision will be released today, January 17.

“Hindi pa ready yung draft. Kasama na rin po ‘yung lawyers po sa office ng Commissioner, kung sino yung ponente po, ay nagkasakit, so medyo tinamaan din ng COVID. Magkakaroon po ng delay po sa paglabas ng decision ng promulgation,” she added.

(The draft is not ready yet. The lawyers in the office of one of the commissioners were hit by COVID-19. There will be a delay in the release of the decision.)

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon earlier said Comelec’s First Division would promulgate its resolution on the disqualification cases against Marcos on or before January 17.

The Comelec earlier submitted for resolution the disqualification case of Marcos filed by Abubakar Mangelen, who claims to be the “duly elected chairman” of Marcos’ Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). Mangelen has said that the PFP’s issuance of a certificate of nomination of acceptance to Marcos was “unauthorized, defective, invalid and void.”

Meanwhile, two disqualification cases filed by martial law survivors led by Bonifacio Ilagan and Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party have been consolidated, which means that both petitions will have a joint decision.

Both groups of petitioners argued that Marcos’ conviction for non-payment of taxes and non-filing of income tax returns have a penalty of perpetual disqualification from public office.

READ: Comelec 1st Division to decide on Marcos’ DQ cases on or before Jan. 17

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