General Trias, Cavite — UniTeam senatorial candidate Harry Roque said he already expected the Commission on Election‘s dismissal of the disqualification cases against team standard-bearer Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body’s First Division junked the consolidated petitions of Ilagan v. Marcos Jr., Akbayan v. Marcos Jr., and Mangelen v. Marcos Jr. for lack of merit. The resolution was promulgated on Thursday afternoon.
The cases stemmed from a 1995 tax case filed by the government against Marcos for non-filing of income tax returns from 1982 to 1985. In moving to disqualify Marcos from running in the May 2022 national elections, the petitioners argued that Marcos’ conviction by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court has perpetually disqualified him from running for public office. Marcos ran for vice president six years ago.
“Gaya po ng inaasahan, mababasura po ito ng Comelec,” Roque, a human rights lawyer, told reporters here during his visit in General Trias on Friday.
The former presidential spokesperson stressed that the decision was a triumph of democracy.
“Maraming salamat po Comelec dahil itinaguyod ninyo ang demokrasya,” Roque said. “Inaasahan naman po talaga natin ‘yan dahil wala naman talagang merito ‘yung mga petisyon na ‘yan.”
“Mabuti na lang po mababaw ang pagkakaintindi sa batas noong mga nag-file ng disqualification na ‘yan at ibinasura agad. Talaga naman pong ibabasura ‘yan,” he added.
Roque also joined the UniTeam’s caravan with Marcos and senatorial candidates Mark Villar and Jinggoy Estrada in Cavite.
