Citing results of voter preference surveys and the mammoth crowds at sorties, the camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed confidence that he “cannot, in any imaginable scenario, be defeated in a clean, honest and fair election in 2022.”
Marcos’ abogados led by veteran litigator Estelito Mendoza urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to dismiss the petition cancelling his certificate of candidacy (COC), calling it a “nuisance” that will prevent voters from choosing the late dictator’s son for president in the upcoming polls.
In a memoranda or final response to the first petition to cancel Marcos’ COC, his abogados argued that Marcos has consistently been leading in pre-election surveys. They also took note of news reports showing huge crowds at his political rallies.
“It is therefore very evident at this stage that the clamor of the electorate is too loud to be defeated by baseless allegations,” the memoranda read.
Marcos’ abogados said the petition to cancel Marcos’ COC “is an attempt to frustrate the clear choice of the people” for the president, since the former senator is leading in surveys.
“Perhaps Petitioners after all well aware that BBM, cannot, in any imaginable scenario, be defeated in a clean, honest and fair election,” they said.
Marcos’ abogados also accused the petitioners seeking to cancel his COC of “hoping that the endless barrage of cases will somehow take a toll on BBM’s image and current momentum.” They said the Comelec should “put a stop to this nuisance.”
“[I]t is humbly submitted that the Honorable Commission should eschew, to the greatest extent possible, all technicalities and overly harsh anachronisms of law, and instead endeavor that substantial justice is attained and the way is paved for the voice of the electorate to be heard in its loudest and purest form,” Marcos’ abogados said.
Marcos lost to Vice President Leni Robredo in the 2016 elections.
Petitioners calling for the cancellation of Marcos’ COC have accused him of committing material representation in the document since he’s supposedly ineligible to run for public office after being convicted of tax evasion in 1995.
They said Marcos’ violation of the National Internal Revenue Code “automatically and ipso facto carries a penalty of perpetual disqualification from holding any public office, to vote and participate in any election.”
The Comelec Second Division has said that the case is deemed submitted for resolution after the petitioners and Marcos’ camp submit their respective memoranda.
Survey says: 2016 loser Marcos Jr confident he can’t be defeated in 2022
Source: Philippines Clips
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