'Interference' in DQ case must be settled —lawyers group exec

The alleged interference on the disqualification case against presidential aspirant Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has to be addressed, a lawyers' group said Wednesday.

According to Philippine Bar Association (PBA) assistant corporate secretary Arnel Valeña, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not be accused of bias by doing so.

“There are allegations of outside-forces interference in that judicial process so I think this has to be addressed so whatever decision the Comelec comes up with will not be accused of being biased or baseless,” Valeña told CNN.

Valeña said Commissioner Rowena Guanzon’s remarks have “definitely” affected the image of the poll body.

Last week, Guanzon disclosed that she voted for Marcos' disqualification, a move that she said she was forced to do as she noticed an “unreasonable delay” in the promulgation of the decision in the First Division.

Guanzon had claimed there were efforts to influence

Meanwhile, Valeña said there is no point in delaying the resolution of the disqualification case.

“The public has to know, the voting public has to know and it’s in the interest of both [Bongbong Marcos] and the petition and the petitioners also that this be resolved right away,” he said.

According to Valeña, the Comelec should abide by its agreement to release the resolution within a certain time.

“If there’s an agreement among the division that a certain resolution will be released by a certain time, then they have to abide by that,” he said.

“This is of paramount importance because we’re speaking here of a presidential candidate... It’s a matter of national interest,” he added.

He said the vote of Guanzon, who will be retiring today, will no longer be counted.

“So it’s very unfortunate that that happened, and now the vote of Commissioner Guanzon will no longer be counted,” he said. —LBG, GMA News