FILE Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos
MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) First Division has dismissed the consolidated disqualification cases against presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for lack of merit.
“The consolidated petitions of Ilagan v. Marcos Jr., Akbayan v. Marcos Jr., and Mangelen v. Marcos Jr. have been dismissed for lack of merit, by the COMELEC’s First Division,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said in a tweet Thursday.
The Comelec’s First Division that decided on the consolidated cases is composed of Commissioners Aimee Ferolino, the ponente in the petitions, and Commissioner Marlon Casquejo.
The third member of the panel was Commissioner Rowena Guanzon, also the then presiding commissioner of the First Division, earlier voted for the disqualification of Marcos due to his tax cases, but she retired on February 2 ahead of the release of the decision.
Earlier, Guanzon has claimed that a senator was influencing Ferolino to delay the resolution so that her vote will not be counted. Ferolino has denied this claim, saying she was just “judiciously scrutinizing” all evidence.