A group of martial law survivors has asked the Commission on Elections to immediately act on the petitions seeking to block the presidential bid of Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.
In a letter addressed to Comelec chairperson Sheriff Abas, the group urged the poll body to resolve the petitions to cancel Marcos' candidacy for president and to disqualify him from the race due to his conviction for failing to file his income tax returns from 1982 to 1985.
The National Internal Revenue Code provides that any person convicted of a crime penalized under the tax law will be "perpetually disqualified from holding any public office, to vote and to participate in any election."
"We hope that the Comelec will judiciously, freely, fairly and speedily decide on the pending petitions, given how crucial these presidential polls are for the common good of the Filipino people, to uphold credible elections and ensure democratic rule in the Philippines," the group's letter read.
Earlier, a group of concerned citizens and civil society organizations submitted more than 15,000 signatures to the Comelec supporting the petition to cancel Marcos' candidacy for president.
Marcos is still facing at least five formal petitions seeking to block his road to Malacañang in 2022. The Comelec earlier dismissed a petition to declare the late dictator's son a nuisance candidate and another alleging that he is only an impostor.
The Comelec First Division is set to hold a preliminary conference on Jan. 7 to tackle three petitions seeking to disqualify Marcos from the presidential race.
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