Martial law victims and survivors on Wednesday asked the Commission on Elections to disqualify the only son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from running for president, citing his conviction on tax evasion cases.
The Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law along with religious and youth rights advocates filed a new petition for the disqualification against Ferdinand Marcos Jr. following at least two other petitions for the same purpose.
The petitioners alleged that Marcos Jr. is "perpetually ineligible" to run for public office as he was found guilty by a Quezon City court in 1995 of failing to file income tax returns and pay his income taxes from 1982 to 1985.
Under the National Internal Revenue Code, 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."
The petitioners also asserted that Marcos Jr. made false material representations in his certificate of candidacy when he claimed that he was eligible to be elected as president and that he was never been found liable of any offense.
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Despite the conviction, Marcos Jr. has been elected governor, congressman, and in 2010, as a senator.
Although he ran for public office previously in the past, former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, one of the petitioners, said "this does not mean it can't be raised anymore."
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The poll body has scheduled a preliminary conference for Nov. 26 on the earlier disqualification complaint filed by a group representing political detainees, human rights and medical organizations against Marcos.
Marcos, 64, has said the petition "is without merit and has no legal basis".
He said on Tuesday that the daughter of President Rodrigo Duterte, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, has agreed to be his vice presidential running mate, confirming weeks of speculation of an alliance between two powerful families.