Comelec junks Cusi-led PDP-Laban wing’s petition to reopen filing of COCs for Eleksyon 2022

The Commission on Elections  en banc has unanimously denied the petition to reopen the filing of certificates of candidacy for Eleksyon 2022 filed by the PDP-Laban faction of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi.

“Denied…basta unanimous it was denied,” Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said at a virtual press conference.

Further, Jimenez said the poll body decided to reject the petition calling for the postponement of the 2022 national and local elections to May 9, 2025

“As well as the petition to suspend elections until 2025, both of them resoundingly denied,” he added.

Jimenez said the petitioners could appeal the denial of their petitions before the Supreme Court.

According to Jimenez, the commissioners have refuted one of the PDP-Laban’s allegations that “there is no reason” for the poll body “to set the deadline so early.”

“One of the justifications forwarded by the commission in response to the allegation is that, obviously, the allegation does not take into consideration all of the other preparatory activities that are being conducted by the Comelec. That in fact the setting of the date of the filing of COCs is not arbitrary in any way. Kaya dineny natin ‘yung kanilang request (That’s why we denied their request),” he said.

Moreover, Jimenez said the decision is “anchored on the fact that the grounds provided by the petition were not meritorious.”

One of the allegations argued by the PDP-Laban faction was the pendency of petitions against certain aspirants.

“The petition was saying that it is impossible to do all of these things because ‘di pa tapos yung mga kaso (the cases have not been resolved yet). So that is a wrong assertion. This is not the first time that we will be going to print [the official ballots] with pending disqualification cases for example,” he said.

“The fact that there are pending disqualification cases has never been a reason for suspending the start of the printing of ballots,” he further explained.

In a text message to GMA News Online, Cusi said they have yet to see the resolution from the Comelec.

“We have to see the resolution and evaluate our options,” he said.

Cusi petition

On December 31, 2021, the Cusi-led faction filed a petition seeking the reopening of the COC filing as well as the postponement of the printing of ballots, saying parties should also be allowed more time to decide whom to field in Eleksyon 2022.

The PDP-Laban has no candidate for president and vice president in Eleksyon 2022.

Senator Christopher “Bong” Go, a long time aide of President Rodrigo Duterte, initially filed a COC for vice president under PDP-Laban. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa originally filed his COC for president under the ruling party.

Go, however, withdrew his bid after Duterte's daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte filed a COC for vice president. Dela Rosa also withdrew his COC.

Go filed a COC for president as a substitute under Pederalismo ng Dugong Dakilang Samahan (PDDS), a party allied with the PDP-Laban. The senator in the end also withdrew his 2022 presidential bid under PDDS.

Two factions of the PDP-Laban are vying for recognition before the Comelec—that of Cusi and Duterte, and the other of Senator Aquilino Pimentel III and presidential aspirant Senator Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao’s wing tagged the petition filed by their rival faction as a last ditch effort to push for a no-election scenario in 2022.

But Cusi’s group dismissed this, saying they are only “exercising its rights under the election laws.”

“Let the Comelec rule on the petition based on legal arguments/merits. Let us not focus on naysayers dwelling on conjectures and name-calling,” they said.

“The petition is based on a constitutional precept on the exercise of suffrage. And as a consequence, it is also imploring on the Comelec to resolve all issues before the ballots are printed.”

Amid the moves made by Cusi’s group, Senate President Vicente Sotto III and Senator Panfilo Lacson said the Senate is already preparing for a possible “No-Election” (No-El) scenario should the Cusi-led PDP-Laban group push to stall Eleksyon 2022. — RSJ, GMA News