Makakahinga na nang maluwag si presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Ito ay matapos ibasura ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) First Division ang natitirang disqualification case laban sa kanya na isinumite ng Pudno nga Ilokano “for lack of merit.”
Sa 29-pahinang desisyon ng First Division na kinabibilangan ni Presiding Commissioner Socorro Inting at ng mga miyembro na sina Commissioners Aimee Ferolino at Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, inabsuwelto nila si Bongbong sa lahat ng disqualification cases na nasa kanilang dibisyon.
Wala umanong nakitang “moral turpitude” ang First Division sa inihaing disqualification case, na ibinatay ng Pudno nga Ilokano sa kasong tax evasion ni Bongbong.
“Nonetheless, we find it more prudent to make our own assessment to remove all doubts and finally resolve the controversy. An assiduous study of the records and relevant jurisprudence yields to a conclusion that there is no moral turpitude in this case,” ayon sa bahagi ng desisyon.
Dagdag pa nito, “If failure to file income tax return is considered alone, it would appear that it is not inherently wrong. This is supported by the fact that the filing of income tax return is only an obligation created by law and the omission to do so is only considered as wrong because the law penalized it.”
Nag-ugat ang tax evasion case ni Bongbong dahil sa kabiguan niyang mag-file ng kanyang income tax returns (ITRs) mula 1982 hanggang 1985.
Ang tatlo pang pinagsama-samang petisyon para ideklara si Bongbong na nuisance candidate, kanselahin ang kanyang certificate of candidacy at idiskuwalipika sa pagtakbo sa May 9 national elections ay nauna nang ibinasura ng First Division.
Nagsumite naman ang petitioners ng motion for reconsiderations, at tatalakayin pa ito ng Comelec en banc.
Ikinatuwa ni Bongbong ang desisyon ng First Division at sinabing, “Of course, it is a good development and we are happy that it happened before our actual elections.”