Partido Federal ng Pilipinas footed 40% of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign bill through party treasurer Antonio Ernesto “Anton” Floirendo Lagdameo Jr., grandson of his father’s close business associate. The remaining cost was covered by today’s opulent names in real estate, retail, construction, and shipping industries.
A total of 67 donors contributed P624.7 million to help Ferdinand Marcos Jr. win the presidency, based on his own declarations to the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
“We thus ask the High Court to reverse and set aside the questionable Comelec ruling and to cancel and declare void from the start the certificate of candidacy of Marcos Jr. and in the process, declare him to have never been a candidate in the 2022 national elections.”
As technical anomalies surfaced during the national elections, Filipino voters bore the brunt of the Commission on Election’s inefficiencies.
First-time voters were dismayed to find lack of coordination, long queues, malfunctioning vote-counting machines (VCMs), and other irregularities.
A day after the May 9 elections, supporters of Leni Robredo, members of election watchdogs and progressive groups hold a symbolic protest in front of the Commission on Elections office in Manila against what they called as the ‘dirtiest’ election in recent years.
Makabayan bloc points to the anti-communist task force as the culprit behind the spread of fake information.
“To deny it and say that our petitions ‘lack of merit’ is to endorse the historical distortions perpetrated by the Marcoses, whitewash their crimes against the people, and abet their delusions of returning to power.”
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said that Marcos Jr.’s “repeated and persistent failure to file his income tax returns for 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1985 constitute an offense involving moral turpitude,” citing section 12 of the Omnibus Election Code.
“Simply put, Marcos Jr. is a convicted criminal and a shameless liar who should not be allowed to run for public office, especially the highest and most powerful position in the land.”
The Comelec decision is intended at preventing delays in other preparatory activities leading to the elections, including the finalization of the voters list. Instead of extending the registration beyond September 30, Comelec has instead extended registration hours and will be open on Saturdays and holidays.
But would this be enough?