Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista will resolve the controversial disqualification case filed against the leading presidential candidate Mayor Duterte. The national poll body said that they may consider the mandate given by the electorate to presidential candidate Digong Duterte in resolving the pending appeal on the disqualification cases against him.
Last February, the First Division of the Comelec dismissed the disqualification case against Mayor Rody Duterte as they voted unanimously in favor of the Davao City Mayor. However, two of the petitioners filed an appeal for reconsideration of the decision.
When Comelec chairman Andres Bautista was asked by some media on their decision, the poll body chairman stated that they will consider the disqualification case but they also respect the mandate given to him by the people.
The Comelec chairman was quoted as saying “That (case) has been raffled to a ponente. I guess we (the Commission en banc) need to discuss what to do,” said Bautista.
Comelec also explained the reasons why it took a long time for the Commission to deliberate on Duterte’s case, Commissioner Luie Guia said the poll body was handling 200 to 300 cases of disqualification. “We had to rush almost everything,” he said. The Comelec commissioner also added that the last-minute changes in the procedures and preparations for elections occupied much of their time.
“It’s difficult to run an election, then we still have to decide on cases, so we apologize if the resolutions of some cases were delayed,” he said. When asked if the decision would be released before the proclamation, Guia said: “It will come. It will be released, don’t worry about that.”
The Comelec’s First Division is composed of Commissioners Christian Robert Lim, Rowena Guanzon and Luie Tito Guia. The poll body had consolidated the petitions filed by broadcaster Ruben Castor, University of the Philippines Student Council head John Paulo de las Nieves, and disqualified presidential bets Ely Pamatong and Rizalito David. David and Castor had asked the Commission to reverse the First Division ruling.
