The Commission on Election (Comelec) is not giving up its legal tussle with the Supreme Court to disqualify Senator Grace Llamanzares to run in the May 9presidential elections. For many, like myself, consider the Supreme Court’s decision as a complete disregard of the provisions under the Constitution, when it allowed that Senator Llamanzares is eligible to run president.
In a 56-page motion for reconsideration, the Comelec, spearheaded by Commissioner Arthur Lim, urged justices to re-consider its ruling since there was no majority vote finding Senator Llamanzares a natural born citizen. Comelec warned that the controversial decision has “heightened political passions in the country that could possibly ignite civil strife.”
The poll body argued that there was no factual or legal basis for the ruling that Llamanzares is a qualified presidential candidate for the May 9 elections. In the same motion, Comelec asked the Supreme Court to re-deliberate and re-vote on the issue of citizenship to “avoid dire repercussions that the majority decision has brought in its wake.”
The poll body was right, I think, in asking the Supreme Court to reexamine its constitutional ruling on the Poe Llamanzares case for its legal and constitutional infirmities. It is good to know that there are still some officials from Comelec who are not afraid to speak their legal minds if only to preserve the sanctity of the Philippine Constitution.
It is a shame that some justices have decided to set aside what is clearly written in the Constitution to be able to kowtow to an influential billionaire businessman and to the President.
Be that as it may, however, the Comelec is facing an uphill battle with the Supreme Court.
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Despite the billions of pesos being funneled to Senator Poe Llamanzares’ campaign chest by an influential billionaire businessman, she and Vice President Jojo Binay, and Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte are locked in a tight presidential race based on the latest survey conducted by ABS-CBN.
The survey was done days after the Supreme Court gave the “green light” for Senator Llamanzares to run in the May 9 presidential derby. However, the result of the survey must have dampened the festive mood of Senator Llamanzares’ financial backers and political supporters.
Llamanzares’ supporters and financial backers were expecting that her ratings will skyrocket due to the favorable decision the lady senator got from the Supreme Court. Instead, her ratings even went down several points.
Political leaders of Galing at Puso party were also dismayed to find out that Senator Bongbong Marcos has overtaken Senator Chiz Escudero as the top choice of voters to be their next vice president based on the same surveys conducted by the giant broadcast network.
If the so-called “Solid North” and the Eastern Visayas region will back up Senator Marcos to the hilt, he has a good chance of beating Senator Escudero in the vice presidential race.
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I think it is not yet too late for Mar Roxas to ditch President Aquino as his chief campaign manager. Most people believed that the President is more of a baggage than an effective political endorser for Roxas.
He should stop preaching the “Daan na Matuwid” of the President whenever he speaks to voters. People are not dumb or stupid. They know for a fact that the Aquino regime is more corrupt or perhaps the same as in the previous administrations.
No wonder Mayor Duterte’s ratings in the surveys are in the upswing. People are tired of corrupt and inefficient government officials. They know that Mayor Duterte is their last chance to have a corrupt-free government. They also know that Duterte is the only one who has the temerity to implement laws without compromise.
I hope Duterte will win the presidency if only to improve the quality of life of so many destitute Filipinos.