The camp of President-elect Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. welcomed on Tuesday night, June 28 the Supreme Court's (SC) decision to junk the disqualification cases filed against the former Partido Federal ng Pilipinas (PFP) standard-bearer in the May 9, 2022 polls.
"Just on time for BBM’s inaugural," commented lawyer Estelito Mendoza, Marcos's legal counsel in these cases.
Though terse, Mendoza's reaction perfectly highlighted the impeccable timing of the favorable ruling, which was handed down just two days before Marcos's much-anticipated inauguration and oath-taking at the National Museum in Ermita.
The SC magistrates' decision was unanimous.
Meanwhile, lawyer George Briones, PFP general counsel, thanked the High Court for its move, which effectively dismissed the disqualification and cancellation of certificate of candidacy (COC) cases against Marcos.
"This decision vindicates the position of the party that President Marcos was under no disqualification to run for president and therefore he did not lie in his certificate of candidacy," he said in a separate statement.
"We congratulate Mr. Justice Rodil Zalameda for coming up with a learned decision that gained the unanimous vote of all the members of the court, including the respect Senior Associate Justice Marvic Leonen who we esteem highly as a fellow alumnus of the UP (University of the Philippines) College of Law," he added."
This decision vindicates the legal arguments we have made as counsel for the party when the PFP intervened in the case below before the Comelec Second Division chaired by now Acting Chairman Socorro Inting," Briones further said.