POLL Commissioner Rowena Guanzon yesterday assured the public that there are no deliberate delays in the resolution of the disqualification cases filed against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In a webcast aired on the Comelec Facebook page, Guanzon said they will release the ruling of the First Division as soon as possible.
“(We will release) the resolution in time so that all parties can still have recourse under the law,” said Guanzon, who head the Comelec First Division. “It would be wrong for some to say that we are delaying the resolution to favor one party over the other.”
Guanzon’s division was supposed to release its ruling last Monday, but the Comelec said the staff or lawyer in charge of drafting the ruling was infected by COVID-19.
On the same day, the Second Division of the poll body presided over by Commissioner Socorro Inting with Commissioner Antonio Kho and Commissioner Rey Bulay as members junked the second petition seeking to block the presidential run of Marcos, ruling that prior tax violations while in public office should not derail his bid.
The petition was the second against Marcos dismissed by the poll body after the petition to declare him as a nuisance candidate filed by Danilo Lihaylihay was also junked last month.
Marcos still faces five disqualification petitions, including three being tackled by the First Division.
Guanzon said the Comelec will be fair and just in resolving the three disqualification cases against Marcos.
“When people don’t understand the process, they get angry and would assume that there is ‘hocus pocus’ happening here,” said Guanzon, adding the process being observed by the First Division is different from that of the Second Division.
“The decision of the Second Division is focused only on the ground of false material representation in the certificate of candidacy of Marcos. Ours are disqualification cases which have different grounds,” Guanzon said.
Meanwhile, an official of the Comelec said presidential and vice-presidential candidates who will not attend the debates to be held by the poll body will miss a lot.
In a radio interview, Comelec-Education and Information Department (EID) Director Elaiza David said it would be to the disadvantage of the candidate who will not participate in the planned debate series.
David said there will be two debates, one for president and one for vice president, each for the months of February, March, and April.
