SC gives Comelec, Senate, House and Marcos 15 days to comment on petition
The Supreme Court on Thursday gave the Commission on Elections, the Senate and House of Representatives and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. 15 days to comment on the petition of several human rights groups to stop the latter’s proclamation and nullify his candidacy in the recent elections.
The resolution concerns the petition filed by Fr. Christian Buenafe, Fides Lim, Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, Celia Lagman Sevilla, Roland Vibal, and Josephine Lascano and representatives of various human rights groups.
Congress will convene as the National Board of Canvassers on Tuesday as they scrutinize the certificates of canvass for the president and vice president.
Marcos and his running mate Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio are leading the unofficial count by a huge margin over Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Francis Pangilinan.
Senate President Tito Sotto told dzBB that if the Supreme Court stops the canvassing, ''we will be courting a constitutional crisis from the fact that Congress can no longer meet after June 3rd.''
''Who will then conduct the canvass as mandated by the Constitution,'' he added.
The resolution did not mention the second petition filed by the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law (CARMMA) asking for a temporary restraining order to stop the Senate and the House from canvassing the votes cast in favor of Marcos and reverse the Comelec resolution dismissing their petition to disqualify him due to his previous criminal conviction. DMS
