Comelec denies 3 motions for intervention in Marcos cases

MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday denied the three motions for intervention filed in connection with a petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to prevent delay in their resolution of the case.

In a 13-page order, the Comelec’s Second Division denied the motions for intervention separately filed by Rommel Bautista and others; Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. and others; and by Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP), under which Marcos is running as its presidential candidate.

These are motions for intervention filed in connection with the petition for cancellation of COC filed by the group of Fr. Christian Buenafe.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the order issued by the Second Division would not have any impact on the case filed by Buenafe’s group.

Jimenez added that while there is a possibility that the First and Second Divisions would consolidate the cases to avoid conflict in their decisions on the petitions filed against Marcos, this has not happened yet.

Meanwhile, a senior leader of the House of Representatives yesterday said Marcos could not simply brush aside the disqualification cases filed against him before the Comelec.

Deputy Speaker Pablo John Garcia, a stalwart of the local “One Cebu” political party, said the eight pending cases filed against Marcos “cannot be lightly dismissed” either by the presidential aspirant’s camp or any other political groups.

“As the secretary general of One Cebu and as a lawyer, I cannot advise my party to consider supporting someone whose candidacy is in serious doubt,” the senior administration lawmaker said, casting doubts on Marcos’ “viability as a candidate.”

“Before the Comelec and the Supreme Court (SC) shall have ruled with finality on the question of his disqualification, I cannot possibly ask the party, our mayors, leaders and supporters to exert efforts and expend resources for a candidate who might later on be disqualified,” he added.

Garcia said he has studied the petitions, and from a lawyer’s perspective, they cannot be lightly dismissed as nuisance, especially those filed by eminent legal scholars, like former Comelec chairman Christian Monsod and former SC spokesman Theodore Te. – Delon Porcalla