Comelec dismisses petition to cancel Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s COC

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division dismissed a petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy (COC) of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. for the 2022 elections.

The division ruled that Marcos Jr.'s representations in his COC were not false, rejecting the argument that his tax conviction in the 1990s disqualifies him.

While Marcos Jr. was convicted of tax evasion and failure to file income tax returns in 1995, the Court of Appeals acquitted him of tax evasion in 1997 and for his sustained guilt for failure to file his ITRs, the CA's 1997 ruling stated the only sanction was payment of deficient tax and fines, removing the prison sentence.

Marcos Jr.'s camp lauded the Comelec decision, with his spokesman lawyer Vic Rodriguez stating that the petition was too frivolous and unmeritorious to override the Constitution.

Malacañang respects the Comelec's decision to dismiss the petition to cancel Marcos Jr.'s COC, emphasizing the commission's independence.

A group of rights advocates, the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates (PAHRA), has appealed for reconsideration, asserting that the Second Division recognized misrepresentations made by Marcos Jr. in his COC.

However, Comelec Senior Commissioner Rowena Guanzon clarified that a disqualified candidate can be replaced, provided the substitute shares the same surname and party affiliation.

There are still four petitions pending with the Comelec, including a disqualification case before the First Division, where Guanzon is a member.