Marcos听faces new disqualification case听
THE听ONLY听son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos is facing another obstacle to his political ambitions in the 2022 polls after a group of martial law victims from northern Philippines filed a new complaint against his candidacy听for president.听听听
The latest petition, the eighth of its kind,听filed against Ferdinand听鈥淏ongbong鈥澨齊. Marcos, Jr. before the elections body argued that his 1995 tax evasion conviction deprived him of his right to vote, making him ineligible to run for public office since electoral candidates must be registered voters.听听
鈥淎ssuming that the provisions of the Omnibus election code do not apply, respondent is still disqualified to run for or to hold any elective position, much less for the position of Philippine president, for having been actually sentenced to prison correccional and is thereby effectively deprived of his right of suffrage,鈥澨齬ead the petition.听听
The petitioners were assisted by constitutional framer Christian S. Monsod, Ateneo Human Rights Center executive director Ray Paolo Santiago and Tristan Arnesto.听听
Mr. Marcos鈥櫶齭pokesman,听Victor Rodriguez,听reiterated an earlier position that the petitions filed were听鈥渘othing but nuisance cases.鈥澨听
鈥淲e urge those who are behind these pathetic stunts to please respect the Filipino people and their democratic right to decide for themselves and their collective future,鈥澨齢e said in a statement released on Tuesday.听听听
Mr. Marcos committed crimes of moral turpitude听鈥斕齛 ground for disqualification under the country鈥檚 election code听鈥斕齱hen he failed to file the taxes, read the latest petition, which is similar to earlier lawsuits seeking the disqualification of the former senator, who lost by a hair in the 2016 vice-presidential race.听听
The late dictator鈥檚 son filed his candidacy papers for president in October, angering activists and victims of his father鈥檚 two-decade rule.听听
An official of the poll body earlier said the presidential run of Mr. Marcos is the most legally-contested in recent history.听鈥斕齂yle听Aristophere听T.听Atienza听
