The commissioners of the Second Division of the Commission on Elections did so well in defending their position to junk the petition raised by human rights advocates and victims of human rights violations during Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s martial law. That is, their petition to cancel the certificate of candidacy of Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for the presidential election in May 2022.
By “did so well” I mean the commissioners justifying their position with all its legal intricacies. However, some other legal experts have expressed that the justification highlighted only the merits of the law.
Now, this electoral law on the legibility or illegibility to run for public office involves even the case of moral turpitude as cited in the provisions of the law. In which case moral turpitude may apply, too, on the commissioners concerned, not just on Marcos Jr.. Don’t they see the evil, don’t they hear the evil, don’t they speak against the evil?
And what is this evil? The evil of ill-gotten wealth, hidden wealth, laundered wealth, plundered wealth—all in relation to the case of tax evasion.
Mga kababayan — the voting populace in particular — all of this is public knowledge. Let us not lose sight of this. Let us be clearly conscious of this as we go forth to the polls in May 2022.
SISTER MARISSA PIRAMIDE, OSB,
Marihatag, Surigao del Sur