The second disqualification case against Bongbong Marcos was filed
A group of taxpayers led by Dr. Rommel Bautista filed the second petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy of presidential aspirant former Senator Bongbong Marcos.
Last week, representatives from different party lists field a disqualification case versus the former presidential son over a past tax evasion conviction. The camp of the presidential aspirant slammed this DQ case against him and he himself stressed that he is not afraid of this measure to hinder his candidacy.
On November 10, Wednesday, Inquirer reported that a second petition was filed against Bongbong Marcos. The Commission on Election (Comelec) has not yet acted upon the first petition that was filed.
The group of Bautista cited also the points of the first petitioners. Most of the people who petitioned against the candidacy of the presidential aspirant were activists who fought against former President Ferdinand Marcos.
The second petition claimed that BBM falsely stated in his COC that he is eligible to run but he was convicted for tax offenses by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) on July 27, 1995, and this became final in 2001.
His conviction was due to the record that he failed to file income tax returns and pay income taxes from 1982, when he was serving as vice governor of Ilocos Norte, to 1985 when he became the governor.
The Court of Appeals upheld the conviction on October 31, 1997. Bongbong Marcos was ordered to pay the fine but the seven-year prison term was removed. In 2001, the conviction became final as the politician withdrew his appeal with the Supreme Court.
Petitioners behind the second disqualification case against BBM urged the Comelec to uphold its legal duty. “The Supreme Court held that the commission’s act of denying due course to and/or canceling a COC in view of a candidate’s disqualification to run for elective office based on a final conviction is subsumed under its mandate to enforce and administer all laws relating to the conduct of elections,” the petitioners stated citing the precedents set in 2012 Supreme Court rulings on three cases: Efren Aratea v. Comelec, Dominador Jalosjos v. Comelec, and Agapito Cardino v. Dominador Jalosjos.
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