The camp of Presidential aspirant and Partido Federal ng Pilipinas standard-bearer Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos, Jr. slammed the 'gutter politics' and smear campaign allegedly being done to the former lawmaker.
"Our initial reaction is that the whole thing is outrageous. Because there is really no case against our presidential aspirant...if that is not gutter politics, hindi ko na alam kung ano pa itatawag natin diyan. (I don't know what we will call it.)" lawyer Victor Rodriguez, the spokesperson of Marcos, said during a press briefing on Wednesday, Nov. 3.
"Hindi natin lubos na maunawaan bakit ang mga taong ito ay ayaw na ayaw lumaban sa isang patas na arena. Bakit kinakailangan ninyong gulangan? Bakit kailangan ninyong dayain ang sambayanang Pilipino sa pagsasampa ng mga kasong walang kakwenta-kwenta? (I just don't understand why these people don't fight in a fair arena. Why do they need to take advantage of someone? Why do they need to cheat on the Filipino people by filing cases that have no value?),”.Rodriguez said.
"We have to wait for an official copy from the COMELEC, we have to wait for the official notification, but as I have said in my earlier statement, that I am sorry to disappoint the yellow wannabe political assassins. We are not going to engage them in gutter politics," added Rodriguez, who took a shot at the 'yellow' political faction whom he thinks are out to thwart Marcos' presidential campaign.
Meanwhile, an election law professor from the Ateneo de Manila University expressed doubt that the petition against Marcos would prosper in the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
"Isang basehan para hindi ka pwedeng manungkulan ay kung ikaw ay sentensiyado sa isang krimen na more than eighteen months or crime involving moral turpitude. Hindi siya sentence to imprisonment. Ang nangyari siya ay nahatulan pero ang kanyang parusa ay walang imprisonment. Ang parusa niya ay fine lamang. Kapag hindi ka lang nag-file or peke ang iyong finile, hindi 'yun crime involving moral turpitude dahil wala namang fraud (One of the basis for anyone not to hold office is you have to be convicted of a crime for more than eighteen months or a crime involving moral turpitude. He was not sentenced to imprisonment. What happened is he was convicted but his penalty was not imprisonment. The penalty was only a fine. If you didn't file or file falsely that is not a crime, it's not a crime involving moral turpitude because there was no fraud)," said former acting justice secretary and lawyer Alberto Agra in a DZRH radio interview Wednesday, Nov. 3.
The view of Agra according to the Marcos camp bolsters the former senator's position and highlights the true intent of those pushing for the former Ilocos Norte congressman's disqualification.
Rodriguez also assured the public that the former Ilocos Norte governor remains focused on nation-building and fulfilling his vision of creating a better future for the country. (Melvin Sarangay)