MANILA, Philippines — One of the petitioners in the disqualification cases against presidential frontrunner, former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., has vowed to elevate the matter before the Supreme Court (SC) after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied their appeal.
“By junking our motions for reconsideration in the disqualification petitions against Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the Comelec en banc has only affirmed what we have suspected all along, that it was simply biding time to uphold the lies and historical distortion of the Marcoses and preempt our next move,” the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) said in a press statement Tuesday night.
“But we are determined to file our case with the Supreme Court and assert that a convict, liar and tax evader like Marcos Jr. should have never been allowed to run for public office, let alone the highest position in the land,” the group added.
The Comelec on Tuesday afternoon affirmed the dismissal of the petitions filed by CARMMA and several other groups seeking the disqualification of Marcos from the presidential race on the ground of his being convicted for failure to file his income tax returns in 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985.
The poll body’s ruling came amid Marcos’ commanding lead in the ongoing quick count of votes.
CARMMA insisted that Marcos should not have been allowed to run for public office due to his conviction of a criminal offense.
“Allowing a convict and liar like Marcos Jr. to run for public office is already a slap on the faces of all the victims who suffered unspeakable atrocities under the Marcos dictatorship. With Marcos Jr.’s now-questionable win in the 2022 national elections, the Comelec en banc’s decision rubs salt on the wounds of injustice – which the Marcoses have refused to acknowledge to this day,” the CARMMA said.
The group said that aside from appealing the Comelec’s ruling before the SC, they are prepared to launch street protests to oppose Marcos’ impending presidency.
“We call on all freedom-loving Filipinos to resist and reject Marcoses’ claim to victory. Winning the elections through a campaign built on lies, historical distortions and mass deception is tantamount to cheating one’s way to victory – and this is simply unacceptable,” CARMMA said.
“We will not stand down and we will take this fight to the courts and in the streets. We will never surrender our democracy and our hard-won rights and freedoms to another Marcos in Malacañang,” it added.