Judges throw out last two petitions seeking to disqualify president-elect from taking office over old tax conviction
Martial law victims including former lawmaker Satur Ocampo (third left) and their lawyers headed by Howard Calleja (second left) show documents after filing a petition with the Supreme Court in Manila on May 18 seeking the disqualification of presumptive president Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (Photo: AFP)
The Philippine Supreme Court has dismissed the last two petitions seeking to disqualify President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. from taking office for allegedly lying about a 1995 tax evasion conviction.
Both petitions were thrown out by unanimous decisions by the 13-judge bench on June 28.
Previous petitions seeking to disqualify Marcos from running for the presidency were dismissed during the campaign before the May 9 election, which he won by a landslide.
“There are no more legal barriers for Marcos Jr. The court upheld the ruling of the Commission on Elections saying Marcos, although convicted in a tax case, was not guilty of a crime involving moral turpitude,” law professor Christopher Lao told UCA News.
Marcos’ suitability was questioned by civic groups led by Carmelite priest Father Christian Buenafe, who wanted him disqualified for failing to disclose that he was convicted in 1995 for non-payment of income tax from 1982 to 1985.
Another group composed of martial law victims, including former lawmaker Satur Ocampo, petitioned for Marcos’ disqualification, saying he lied under oath when he filed his certificate of candidacy.
“We have won the legal battle. We will also win the battle in history. There are so many things to correct. Let this ruling be a testimony that not everything about the Marcos family is true”
Election lawyer Howard Calleja said Marcos’ certificate of candidacy contained falsehoods made under oath when he claimed he was not convicted of any crime.
“The law says that if there is a falsehood made under oath, the certificate of candidacy is void from the very beginning. It is as if no certificate of candidacy was filed,” he told UCA News.
Both groups vowed to stage protests in Manila at Marcos’ inauguration this week.
Marcos loyalists, however, said the ruling vindicated the incoming president and his family against all the political slurs thrown at them.
“We have won the legal battle. We will also win the battle in history. There are so many things to correct. Let this ruling be a testimony that not everything about the Marcos family is true. It is their political opponents who are guilty of fake news,” Marcos supporter Cesar Frias told UCA News.
He said they were not surprised that the justices voted 13-0 because no one in their “right mind” would question votes cast by an overwhelming majority of the Filipino people.
Marcos won the election with over 31.6 million votes, while opposition candidate Vice President Leni Robredo only picked up 15 million.
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