Commssion on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon announced on Thursday, Jan. 27 that she voted to disqualify
"Kaya nga ito nangyayari lahat eh, dahil ang boto ko is DQ (disqualify) si Marcos Jr. sa tingin ko may moral turpitude talaga based on evidence and the law," she told GMA News in a television interview.
Article I, Section 12 of the Omnibus Election Code states that "any person who has been declared by competent authority insane or incompetent, or has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude, shall be disqualified to be a candidate and to hold any office, unless he has been given plenary pardon or granted amnesty."
Guanzon who is a member of the Comelec First Division that is handling the consolidated disqualification cases filed against Marcos Jr. mentioned that she believes that the decision is deliberately being delayed to discredit her vote which is to disqualify the former senator.
"So, to knock out my vote they think they can invalidate it by releasing the resolution of the ponencia after I retire, which cannot happen because I already submitted my separate opinion to all of them, including the chair and all the commissioners.That should already be on the record that I voted already," she explained.
"My votes should be counted and considered by the next presiding Commissioner after me," she added.
READ MORE: Guanzon to release separate opinion on Marcos Jr. DQ case 'soon'
She said that the delay in the release of the decision seemed unreasonable and that she feels that someon is interfering and is trying to influence the commissioners. Guazon joked that she will may reveal the names on Monday, if the decision has not yet been released by that time.
"Ayoko po talagang bigyan sana ng malisya yung ponente pero sinabi nga nung isang commissioner kahapon sa meeting namin e bakit yung ibang naraffle after pa sa Marcos nailabas naman (I never wanted to put malice on the ponente but as what the other commissioner said in our meeting yesterday, how come the after cases raffled after Marcos released their decision)," Guanzon said.
She did not name who was the ponente or the commissioner tasked to write the decision but the two other members of the first division are Commissioners Aimee Ferolino and Marlon Casquejo.
"Siguradong powerful itong taong ito (I'm sure this is a powerful person)," Guanzon stated, pertaining to whoever is delaying the release of the decision.
READ MORE: Guanzon dispels rumors on DQ case vs Marcos Jr.; says ponente was not ready
Guanzon mentioned that she wants to retire with a zero backlog of cases and agreed that it will be "messy" if the case does not get promulgated before Feb. 2. She has mentioned that she was already prepared on Jan. 17 and has even finished her separate opinion on the case. This was the same day that the Second Division junked the petition to cancel the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of Marcos Jr.
Three consolidated cases are being handled by the Comelec First Division. These were filed by Abubakar Mangelen, Akbayan and Bonifacio Ilagan et al.