Last disqualification case vs. BBM trashed

THE COMMISSION on Elections has dismissed the last disqualification case against presidential aspirant Bongbong Marcos, who was convicted in 1995 by a Quezon City Regional Trial Court of failing to pay his income tax returns for three consecutive years.

The court sentenced Marcos to nine years imprisonment and a fine of P72,000. Marcos appealed his case before the Court of Appeals which upheld the conviction, but removed the penalty of imprisonment, and instead ordered him to pay the fine and the deficiency income taxes plus interest

The disqualification case filed by martial law victims last December wanted Marcos disqualified saying his failure to pay the taxes involves moral turpitude. It was the fourth disqualification case filed against the presidential frontrunner.

The poll body’s First Division, chaired by Commissioner Socorro Inting and members Commissioners Aimee Ferolino and Aimme Neri, said they were not convinced that Marcos committed a crime involving moral turpitude, which the petitioners stressed is a ground for disqualification.

They cited a 2009 ruling which said that failure to file an income tax return is not a crime involving moral turpitude.

“Regardless of the fact that the non-filing of ITR was done repeatedly by (Marcos) there is still no tax evasion to speak of as no tax was actually intentionally avoided. He may have been neglectful in performing this obligation, it however does not reflect moral depravity,” the poll body said, adding non-filing of income tax return is not tax evasion.

Next president

Marcos’ spokesman, lawyer Victor Rodriguez, welcomed the dismissal of the disqualification case against the former senator. “As advocated, elections are settled through the ballots on election day - not through the abuse of our judicial processes like the filing of nuisance petitions for disqualification. The Commission on Elections has affirmed and settled the last petition for disqualification: Presidential frontrunner Bongbong Marcos possesses all the qualifications needed to aspire for, campaign and serve as president of the Republic of the Philippines,” he said. 

“It is now time for every peace-loving Filipino to work for a clean, honest, credible and fair elections, and allow the people to speak, their voices heard and votes genuinely counted,” he added. 

Surveys 

Marcos is leading in every independent political surveys in the country. The Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, the political party of Marcos, also cited the latest election polls from OCTA Research, saying the results of the survey “not only reaffirms the consistent and undeniable fact that majority of Filipinos are for Marcos’ call for unity, but also solidifies which brand of leadership many Filipinos believe shall usher in lasting peace, inclusive prosperity, and progress for this country.” 

Thompson Lantion, Secretary General of the Partido Federal ng Pilipinas, said while these results are very much welcome, they nevertheless remain focused and committed to the goal of delivering an overwhelming and emphatic landslide victory for Marcos, the party’s chairman. 

“While we in the Party believe that a BBM victory in the coming 9 May 2022 Polls is inevitable - as these credible survey results would suggest - we urge all BBM supporters to continue our positive campaign for BBM and the Uniteam, bringing Filipinos across the globe together through his call for Unity. We call on all supporters to continue to be steadfast and remain vigilant in ensuring a fair, credible, and peaceful 2022 National and Local Elections. Sama-sama tayong babangon muli,” he said.

BBM refers to Bongbong Marcos, whose running mate is presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte. But President Rodrigo Duterte has only endorsed the candidacy of Sara and not Marcos, whom he previously insulted and called him a weak leader. 

Duterte originally wanted Sara to replace him with Senator Bong Go as her running mate. But Sara accepted Marcos’ offer to run as his vice presidential bet and forced Go, Duterte’s former long-time aide, to eventually withdraw his candidacy and supported Marcos and Sara’s UniTeam coalition. (Mindanao Examiner)