Filipinos who choose their leaders freely and wisely during elections should not be discouraged by disqualification petitions and legal technicalities, Unity Team senatorial candidate Harry Roque said.
“Ito po ay demokrasya, hayaan nating pumili ang taumbayan, hindi dapat dinadaan sa disqualification, hindi dapat dinadaan sa technicalities,” Roque said.
The former presidential spokesperson made the statement after the Commission on Elections junked the only petition to cancel the Certificate of Candidacy (COC) of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Roque said that people must be given more choices, adding they already knew Marcos Jr. had been convicted for non-filing of the tax return.
“Kung ang tao ay iboboto pa rin siya eh hayaan natin ang taumbayan kaya nga po ang eleksyon ang tawag po diyan, it’s a political question,” Roque stressed.
He continued : “It is a question that can only be resolved by the people acting in their capacity as sovereign. Lahat po ng kapangyarihan ng gobyerno ay nanggagaling po sa taumbayan.”
Roque explained that Marcos Jr. could not be disqualified from the presidential derby because his conviction did not involve moral turpitude, or was contrary to justice, modesty, and good morals.
“Hindi ko nakikita na ito ay crime involving moral turpitude dahil ang parusa naman ay fine,” Roque said.
“Hindi po ‘yan moral turpitude. Dapat ho kasuklam-suklam ang kaso, eh eto ang naging parusa ay fine. Ano ba ang mga krimen na ang parusa ay fine—traffic violations, so pano naman magkakaroon ng moral turpitude kung ang parusa ay fine lamang,” he said.
#SaPanguloSpokesman
#SaInyoActionman
