Just a day after the elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) released its ruling on Tuesday, May 10 on the motions for reconsideration (MRs) filed by the petitioners seeking the disqualification and the cancellation of the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
In the 30-page document, the Commission En Banc denied the MRs filed by petitioners Bonifacio Ilagan, Akbayan, and Abubakar Mangelen and reaffirmed the resolution of the former First Division.
According to the en banc, the MRs must be denied. They said that after a careful review of it, the petitioners failed to raise new matters that would warrant the reversal of the assailed resolution.
"We find no cogent reason to disturb the findings of the Commission (Former First Division)," the en banc said.
Mangelen filed a petition seeking the declaration of nullity of Marcos' Certificate of Nomination and Acceptance (CONA) as well as a disqualification case. He said that he was the duly elected chairman of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP). His disqualification case against Marcos Jr. was filed on ground of ineligibility arising from a previous conviction of a crime involving moral turpitude.
On the other hand, Atty. Antonio Salvador stood as the legal counsel of Akbayan who filed on Dec. 2 a disqualification case against Marcos Jr. and averred that Marcos Jr. is "perpetually" barred from running for public office due to his 1995 tax evasion conviction.
The first disqualification case against Marcos Jr. was filed on Nov. 17, 2021 by Ilagan et al.
Commissioner Marlon Casquejo issued a separate concurring opinion while Commissioner George Erwin Gercia inhibited from the case since the respondent was his former client.
Meanwhile, the en banc also denied the Motion for Partial Reconsideration filed by petitioners Fr. Christian Buenafe of Task Force Detainees, Fides Lim of Kapatid, Ma Edeliza Hernandez of Medical Action Group, Celia Lagman Sevilla of Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance, Roland Vibal of PH Alliance of Human Rights, and Josephine Lasvano of Balay Rehab Center.
The en banc stated the same reason, that they failed to raise new matters that would warrant the reversal of the assailed resolution and reaffirmed the resolution of the former Second Division.
The case had a unanimous ruling on Jan. 17 which denied the petition filed for lack of merit. It also enumerated the attempts of the petitioners to mislead the poll body with their allegations and misrepresentations of facts and wrong quotations of certain provisions of the law.
Commissioners Casquejo and Socorro Inting issued a separate concurring opinion while Garcia inhibited himself from the case.
With this, the losing parties shall now file an appeal before the Supreme Court (SC).