THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has issued summonses to former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in connection with three cases seeking to disqualify him from the 2022 race to the presidency.
The three cases were raffled off to the Comelec First Division headed by Presiding Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.
The preliminary conferences on these cases were set for Jan. 7, 2022.
According to Guanzon, the summonses directed Marcos to file a verified answer to each petition within five days from receipt, in accordance with rules.
Thereafter the cases are deemed submitted for resolution.
The three cases were SPA 21-212 (DC) filed by Bonifacio Ilagan et al.; SPA 21-232 (DC) filed by Akbayan Citizen’s Action Party, Doris Nuval, Joanna Bernize Coronacion, Jo Enrica Enriquez Rosales, Rauymond John Naguit and Loretta Ann Rosales; and SPA 21-233 (DC) filed by Abubakar Mangelen.
There are at least seven disqualification cases before the Comelec filed against Marcos, the perceived frontrunner in the May 2022 elections.
Earlier, the Comelec First Division dismissed the first of the three cases against Marcos for being “grossly insufficient” in evidence and for failing to prove that the respondent was a nuisance candidate.
All other disqualification cases were similarly anchored on the guilty verdict handed down by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court against the former senator for his failure to file his income tax returns for the years 1982 to 1985.
Marcos appealed his case before the Court of Appeals.
The appellate court upheld his conviction but removed the penalty of imprisonment and instead ordered him to pay the fine and the deficiency income taxes plus interest.
(Source: WILLIAM DEPASUPIL-Manila Times)
Photo credit to CNN.PH
