The hashtags #ProtectPhFromMarcosJr trended on Twitter, Wednesday, November 3, following a petition to cancel presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s certificate of candidacy (COC).
As of writing, the #ProtectPhFromMarcosJr was on top of Twitter’s trending topic as personalities and netizens backed up the petition, which was meant to disqualify Marcos.
https://twitter.com/ToniSpeakEasy/status/1455795098004848640
To be pro-filipino, we should protect the country from THIEVES, LIARS, ENABLERS, TAX EVADERS.#ProtectPhFromMarcosJr https://t.co/V55FmzDirn
— Niña (@Nina_dgt) November 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/_juanario/status/1455786303535005697
Singer Leah Navarro urged the public to protect the Philippines from another Marcos, stressing that the country does not need a dictator’s son to lead it.
Please, let’s #ProtectPhFromMarcosJr Anak siya ng tatay niyang diktador at mandaramBONG.
— Leah Navarro (@leahnavarro) November 3, 2021
Twitter personality Philip Jamilla even urged netizens to join the Twitter rally held at 5 p.m. to protest Marcos’ presidential run.
@carmma2016 says #DisqualifyMarcos! Join the Twitter rally at 5 p.m. #ProtectPHFromMarcosJr #ProtestMarcosJr pic.twitter.com/pC1et30J2s
— Philip Jamilla (@pmjamilla) November 3, 2021
Meanwhile, the #ProtectMarcosJr also trended to contradict the #ProtectPhFromMarcosJr.
Marcos loyalists emphasized that the Philippines needed another Marcos to make it “great again.”
https://twitter.com/AbzVlogz26/status/1455711889611055111
#ProtectMarcosJr
From evil of this land! pic.twitter.com/eP4Z3wqXbE— Mindy Mitch (@tzxjc_pturki) November 3, 2021
Some considered that this was “black propaganda” that needed to be stopped.
Stop Black Propaganda!#ProtectMarcosJr pic.twitter.com/y4BBUjyGSH
— MAI (@meemaipanag) November 3, 2021
A Marcos supporter even argued that the late Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was not a thief. He claimed that former President Cory Aquino had corrupted the country through her more than “P1 trillion” spendings.
Stop your narratives that Marcos is magnanakaw. Cory spent 1T+ in her 6 years without solid accomplishments compare to the 20 years of FEMarcos with avalanche of solid accomplishments but only spent 600B+ !!! FVCK YOU ROBREDOGS #ProtectMarcosJr pic.twitter.com/nhpt0NwJtk
— IAN (@ian_emmanuel22) November 3, 2021
Another contended that Marcos has the “clear vision and mission” to create progression for the Philippines.
BBM has clear vision and mission for the continued progress of our country#ProtectMarcosJr pic.twitter.com/IceIqTaGSD
— Mikel Reponte (@MikelReponte) November 3, 2021
The petition, which was filed before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, claimed that Marcos was not eligible to run for public office “as he is, plainly, a convicted criminal.”
Among the petitioners are Fr. Christian Buenafe, co-chairperson of the Task Force Detainees of the Philippines; Fides Lim, board chairperson of political prisoners’ group KAPATID; and Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, executive director of the Medical Action Group.
Also joining them are Celia Lagman Sevilla, secretary-general of the Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance Inc.; Roland Vibal, Luzon representative of the Philippine Alliance of Human Rights Advocates Inc.; and Josephine Lascano, executive director of the Balay Rehabilitation Center.
The 57-page petition filed in Comelec cited numerous allegations. One pointed out that Marcos was convicted in July 1995 at a trial court in Quezon City for his multiple failures to file income tax returns from 1982 to 1985.
Petitioners also stressed that his tax evasions were a crime that “involves moral turpitude, thereby disqualifying him under the Omnibus Election Code to be a candidate and to hold any public office.”
The QC court, which handled Marcos’ case, convicted him for nine years in jail and ordered him to pay the fine. However, the Court of Appeals (CA) modified the decision and “improperly” deleted the penalty of imprisonment, the petitioners noted.
Furthermore, despite the judgment of the QC court, Marcos still filed his COC for the presidency on October 6 and denied that he had been sentenced with any offense.
They argued that this “carries the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office.”
The petitioners claimed that the Comelec has “enough grounds” to disqualify Marcos due to his “false assertion” which he made to “with the deliberate intent to mislead, misinform, and deceive the electorate.”
Aside from his former conviction, the petition leaders also noted the Marcos family’s “refusal” to settle unpaid estate tax.
They said that the estimated liability of the Marcoses now amounts to P203.8 billion, including the interest, surcharges, and penalties.
“To date, there is no showing that the Marcos heirs have paid the estate tax,” the petition read, adding this massive amount is the Filipino people’s “hard-earned money.”
“Furthermore, petitioners have not seen any document that will show Marcos Jr.’s filing of an estate tax return and proper payment of taxes on the estate of his father, who holds the Guinness World Records title for ‘Greatest Robbery of a Government,'” the petitioners stated.
The petitioners also noted that this “repeated evasion” of duty, once again, equates to moral turpitude.
Meanwhile, Marcos was unfazed by the petition and said he would not withdraw his candidacy.
“Hindi ako natatakot, hindi ako aatras, hindi ako magwi-withdraw. Patuloy lahat ang aking gagawin. Hindi ako mag-slide down. Patuloy lang ang aking kandidatura,” Marcos responded in an interview with RMN Palawan.
According to the Omnibus Election Code, a petition to deny due course or to cancel a COC may be filed because involve a candidate that “has been sentenced by final judgment for subversion, insurrection, rebellion or for any offense for which he has been sentenced to a penalty of more than eighteen months or for a crime involving moral turpitude.”
The person shall be disqualified to be a candidate or to hold any office unless he has been pardoned or granted amnesty.
