The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has granted the motion for extension filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to file his comment on the petition for cancellation of his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.
Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said the poll body's Second Division composed of Commissioners Socorro Inting and Antonio Kho, Jr. has given the former senator another five days to submit his comment.
“Getting word that Comelec 2nd Div just now issued an extension in the cancellation case against former Senator Marcos. 5 days,” he said in a Twitter post on Thursday.
“But since the 5th day falls on a Sunday, the last day is actually 22 (November),” he added.
On the other hand, there are now four petitions filed against Marcos in the May 2022 polls before the poll body.
These include two petitions for cancellation filed by Fr. Christian B. Buenafe et al. and Tiburcio Marcos and petition for disqualification filed by Bonifacio Ilagan et al. and a petition to declare as nuisance candidate filed by Danilo Lihaylihay.
Of the four cases, only one petition — filed by Fr. Christian Buenafe, Fides Lim, Ma. Edeliza Hernandez, Celia Lagman Sevilla, Roland Vibal, and Josephine Lascano — has been scheduled for a preliminary conference meeting on November 26.
A motion to intervene was filed by Edwin Reyes, Napoleon Siongco, Fernando Guevara, Rommel Bautista, Santiago Muńoa Jr, Glenn Gallos, Noel Carpio, Joel Mayo, Marie Soriano, and Mario Montejo on the petition to cancel.
Meanwhile, Jimenez said a petition to cancel the COC of broadcaster Raffy Tulfo for senator has also been filed before the poll body.
A petitioner named Julieta Pearson filed the petition against Tulfo's candidacy on October 25.