MANILA – A group of Ilocanos on Monday asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc to reconsider the decision of the First Division that junked its petition to disqualify presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from the May 9 polls.
The group, led by Margarita Salandan, reiterated in a Partial Motion for Reconsideration that Marcos’ tax convictions carried with it moral turpitude, thus, he should be disqualified from running for public office.
“In its Resolution, this Honorable Commission's First Division haphazardly concluded that the undisputed multiple convictions of Marcos, Jr. for repeated violations of the law, and for four consecutive years, do not carry with it "moral turpitude," the petition said.
“This very narrow reasoning and interpretation of the facts and the law -- while in the same breath acknowledging Marcos Jr.'s non-payment of his full tax liability including income in 1985 from a second source other than the government as Chairman of the Philcomsat; neglect in the performance of his legal obligation; and repeated violations of the law -- are clearly insufficient to justify such an erroneous finding,” it added.
The group also argued that Marcos was convicted for a crime which carried a penalty of imprisonment, which should disqualify him to seek public office.
Last week, the First Division junked the group’s petition for lack of merit.
The other petitions to declare Marcos as nuisance, to cancel his certificate of candidacy, and three consolidated disqualification cases are pending before the Commission en banc. (PNA)
