“Very strange and contradictory that the Comelec Second Division opted to deny our petition yet agreed that the ‘representations’ made in Item 11 of Box 22 of the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Marcos Jr. are ‘material.’”

By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL
Bulatlat.com

MANILA – Very strange and contradictory.

This is the reaction of Fides Lim, one of the petitioners seeking for the cancellation of Ferdinand Marcos Jr’s certificate of candidacy after the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) 2nd Division denied their petition on Jan. 17, Monday, due to lack of merit.

“Very strange and contradictory that the Comelec Second Division opted to deny our petition yet agreed that the ‘representations’ made in Item 11 of Box 22 of the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Marcos Jr. are ‘material,’” said Lim, spokesperson of Kapatid, a support group of friends and families of political prisoners, in a statement.

Item 11 of Box 22 of the COC asks the candidate if he or she has been found liable for an offense “which carries with it the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office which has become final and executory” of which Marcos replied “No.”

According to the Comelec 2nd Division that while such information is material, it is actually not false.

The resolution said that Marcos Jr. “did not deliberately attempt to mislead, misinform, or deceive the electorate.”

Read: A second look at the disqualification case vs. Marcos Jr.

“What gives? Why disagree that such were ‘false’ when the meaning of ‘material,’ whether noun or adjective, is plain and true for all to see unless the Second Division has another dictionary,” Lim said.

Lim asserted that the material representation is clearly false because Marcos was convicted with final judgment by both the Regional Trial Court and Court of Appeals for failure to pay and file income tax returns for the years 1982, 1983 and 1984 when he served as vice-governor and governor of Ilocos Norte.

“These court judgments make him ineligible to hold any public office, least of all the highest office of the land. We cannot have a liar, cheat and convicted tax evader making fools of us all as he claws his way to the presidency while lying through his teeth,” Lim said.

TLDR: Comelec Second Division denies petition to cancel Marcos Jr.’s COC, ruling essentially that the representations required are material but that they are not false. Petitioners disagree and will seek reconsideration within the period provided under the Comelec Rules. pic.twitter.com/tPYnnn7Qls

— Ted Te (@TedTe) January 17, 2022

Theodore Te, one of the counsels for the petitioners, said that they will seek reconsideration of the resolution within the five-day period provided under the Comelec Rules.

Meanwhile, peasant farmers’ groups insist that “plunderers have no place in the ballot.”

“We are disappointed but unsurprised by the Comelec’s ruling. We will be vigilant of the remaining disqualification cases against Marcos Jr. We insist that plunderers such as the Marcoses have no place in our ballot,” said Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas chairperson Danilo Ramos in a statement.

The resolution was signed by Comelec Commissioners Socorro Inting, Antonio Kho Jr. and Rey Bulay.

The Comelec is still set to rule on two disqualification cases against Marcos. (RTS,RVO)