(Eagle News) – The first division of the Commission on Elections has “dismissed for lack of merit” the consolidated petitions against presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr., that sought his disqualification.
In a tweet, Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said that the Comelec’s first division junked the consolidated petitions against Marcos.
“The consolidated petitions of Ilagan v. Marcos Jr., Akbayan v. Marcos Jr., and Mangelen v. Marcos Jr. have been dismissed for lack of merit, by the COMELEC’s 1st Division,” Jimenez said in a tweet posted on his official twitter account at around 7 p.m., Thursday, February 10.
The petitions were filed by three groups – by playwright, film maker and screenwriter Bonifacio Ilagan, former Bayan Muna partylist Rep. Satur Ocampo and others; by Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party and former political prisoners; and by Abubakar Mangelen, ousted chair of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas.
Before this, controversy on these consolidated petitions arose after former Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon claimed that the decision on these petitions was being delayed.
Guanzon, who before her retirement presided over the three-member First Division, has accused Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, the assigned ponente of the decision, that there was a move to exclude her vote.
Guanzon, who retired on February 2, authorized the Comelec to release a copy of her separate opinion on these petitions, that favored Marcos’ disqualification.
Ferolino, on the other hand, asked Guanson “to stop conditioning the minds of the people” on the supposed delay in deciding the petitions filed with the first division,
“As a coequal member of this Commission, I am asking you to please stop conditioning the minds of the people that there is a delay [in the resolution] because there is none,” she said in an earlier statement.
“More importantly, I am asking you to spare the Commission from all these controversies because you are destroying the credibility of the agency which you claimed to have previously served with integrity and candor,” Ferolino said.
The petitions sought to disqualify Marcos from the 2022 elections for his failure to file income tax returns from 1982 to 1985.
Apart from Jimenez’ tweet announcing the Comelec’s decision, the commission has not yet released a copy of the said decision by the first division.
-Commissioner Inting designated as Comelec acting chair-
Also on February 10, the Comelec announced the formal designation of Commissioner Socorro B. Inting as Acting Chairperson, and reorganized the membership of the two Divisions of the Commission, following the retirement of former Comelec Chair Sheriff Abas and Commissioners Guanzon and Antonio Kho Jr.
“Acting Chairperson Inting will serve in such capacity until a new Chairperson has been appointed and assumed office. Given her stellar performance in helming the Gender and Development initiatives of the Commission these past years, and in streamlining various internal processes in the resolution of cases, we in the Commission are confident of the Honorable Acting Chair’s leadership moving forward,” Spokesperson James Jimenez said.
“Acting Chairperson Inting will preside over the First Division, and Commissioner Aimee P. Ferolino will serve as member,” the Comelec said.
The Second Division will be headed by Commissioner Marlon S. Casquejo as Presiding Commissioner, with Commissioner Rey E. Bulay as member.
The Comelec said “cases respectively raffled to the former First and Second Divisions will be retained in the concerned Division in order to ensure the orderly, speedy and judicious disposition of the cases.”
“For this purpose, a Former First Division and Former Second Division are constituted as follows: Commissioner Casquejo as Presiding Commissioner, and Commissioner Ferolino as member, First Division; Acting Chairperson Inting as Presiding Commissioner, and Commissioner Bulay as member, Second Division,” it added in a statement.
(Eagle News Service)