Bongbong Marcos' Candidacy Challenged by Petition over Tax Evasion Conviction

Civic Groups File Petition Urging Comelec to Cancel Bongbong Marcos’ Candidacy for President

BONGBONG MARCOS – Civic groups filed a petition at Comelec urging it to deny his candidacy for president citing his tax evasion conviction.

During the period set by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for the filing of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) by those who intend to run in Election 2022, a total of 97 candidacies for president were filed at the poll body. Some of these are popular names in the political arena.

One of those who filed his COC for president next year is former Senator and the late dictator’s son Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He is the standard-bearer of Partido Federal ng Pilipinas and has yet to identify his running-mate in the upcoming election.

Bongbong Marcos Jr.‘s move of running for president sparked the issues surrounding Martial Law during his late father’s regime. Some people show firm support for him while there are also those who strongly reject his candidacy. The #NeverAgain went trending on social media.

Recently, several civic groups filed a petition at Comelec urging the poll body to deny or cancel the candidacy of former Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr. for president in 2022. Based on a report on ABS-CBN News, representatives from FIND, PH Alliance of Human Rights Advocates, Task Force Detainees of PH, Medical Action Group, and KAPATID filed a 57-page petition.

The petition to cancel the presidential bid of former Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr. by civic groups is over the tax evasion conviction of the late dictator’s son in 1995. He was convicted over his failure to file the mandatory tax returns from the year 1982 to 1985.

Reportedly, Section 252 of the 1977 National Internal Revenue Code, the old Tax Code, stated that if the violator is a public officer, the person will be “perpetually disqualified from holding any public office”, from voting or from participating in any elections.

Marcos Jr. was the governor of Ilocos Norte when his conviction over the Tax Evasion charges against him became final. It was in year 2001 when the conviction became final after he withdrew his appeal to the Supreme Court. More updates update the issue may be posted soon.

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