Ni NOEL ABUEL
Ngayong pa lang ay panalo na si presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. matapos na tuluyang tablahin ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) ang paghahabol ng ilang grupo ng mga anti-Marcos na idiskuwalipika ito sa darating na May elections.
Ito ay matapos na ibasura ng Comelec First Division ang huling disqualification case laban kay presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. dahil sa kawalan ng sapat na merito.
Nakasaad sa desisyon ng Comelec First Division na nilagdaan nina Comelec Commissioners Socorro Inting, Aimee Ferolino, at Aimee Torrefranca-Neri, na isinasantabi ang petisyon na inihain ng Pudno Nga Ilokano (Ang Totoong Ilokano).
Sinabi ng Comelec na si Marcos ay pasok sa kwalipikasyon na itinakda sa ilalim ng 1987 Constitution at iba pang batas.
Idinagdag pa nito na walang merito ang isang disqualification case batay sa kabiguan ni Marcos Jr. na maghain ng income tax returns noong 1995 kung saan nahatulan ito kasama sina Margarita Salonga Salandanan, Crisanto Ducusin Palabay, Mario Flores Ben, Danilo Austria Consumido, Raoul Hafalla Tividad, Nida Mallare Gatchallan, at Nomer Calulot Kuan.
Nabatid na ilang mga reklamo na naunang ibinasura ng poll body ay nasa ilalim pa ngayon sa apela.
“Wherefore, premises considered, the instant petition, is hereby denied for lack of merit,” ayon sa resolusyon.
Una nang inihain ng petioner ang reklamo laban kay Marcos dahil sa hinatulan ito ng walong beses ng Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QC RTC) Branch 105 noong 1995 dahil sa kabiguang maghain ng income tax returns noong gobernador pa ito ng Ilocos Norte sa taxable years 1982 hanggang 1985.
Sa ruling ng Comelec division, sinabi nito na ang hindi paghahain ng income tax returns ay hindi isang krimen na sangkot ang moral turpitude.
“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 penalizes it,” ayon pa sa resolusyon.
Tinukoy din ng Comelec na si Marcos Jr. ay nakapagbayad ng kanyang income tax liability sa pamamagitan ng “withholding system, albeit not in full.”
“Even if his tax liability was not paid in full, the same was not done willfully by respondent (Marcos Jr.) since, as the CA explained, it is the government’s obligation to withhold the income tax of respondent and the latter had the right to rely on the computation of the taxes withheld,” sabi pa ng Comelec division.
“In the case of respondent, it can be said that the filing of income tax return is only for record purposes, not for the payment of tax liability. He may have been neglectful in performing his obligation, it however does not reflect moral depravity,” dagdag pa nito.
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