No legal basis for Ramos’ view on DQ cases

The position taken by former President Fidel Ramos with regard to disqualification issues now facing two leading presidential aspirants in the forthcoming national elections seems to have no legal leg to stand on (“Ramos: Let voters decide Poe, Duterte cases,” Front Page, 12/17/15).

Speaking before members of the press during a recent forum held in Quezon City, Ramos said Sen. Grace Poe and Davao City Mayor Duterte should be allowed to run for the presidency despite questions on their eligibility. He declared it is best to let the people decide and choose who should be their president. Never mind if the candidate does not fit the requirements prescribed by the Constitution and existing laws governing the electoral process.

In Senator Poe’s case, there are still unresolved issues regarding her being a natural-born Filipino citizen and her residency status. Duterte, for his part, is facing issues on the legality of his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president as a substitute candidate.

In expressing his view, Ramos may have forgotten that our country is operating under a constitution. Although the Constitution allows any Filipino citizen to run for an elective position in government, the position of president is reserved only for natural-born Filipinos.

Poe may aspire for the presidency only when her natural-born status is ascertained and the residency requirement is fulfilled. The questionable entry in the COC earlier filed by Martin Diño, whom Duterte substituted for, may lead to the disqualification of the presidential aspirant from Davao City.

By allowing the two candidates to run, and in the process letting the people vote for them, despite the unresolved legal issues hanging over their heads is a dangerous precedent. Pontius Pilate did the same thing when he allowed the crowd to decide who should be released between Jesus and Barabbas even though the former was innocent of the charges and the latter was a notorious criminal. As it turned out, the crowed favored the release of Barabbas, and Jesus was crucified.

Agreeing with Ramos’ position is tantamount to disregarding the Constitution and laws governing the electoral process. We might as well let the public decide every time there are legal issues being raised, forgetting we are governed by laws, not men.

Sadly, former chief justice Artemio Panganiban, Commission on Elections Chair Andres Bautista and even President Aquino share Ramos’ view, ignoring their obligation to uphold and defend the Constitution.

As cynics love to say, laws are made to be broken.

—MELCHOR AMADO JR., melamadojr@aol.com