Article by:
Ferdinand Patinio
MANILA – An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday said she will require the camp of presidential aspirant Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to present his notarized medical certificate following his failure to attend a preliminary conference of the disqualification cases filed against him last week.
First Division presiding Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said she would order Dr. Benedict Francis Valdecañas, Marcos' attending physician, to submit a notarized medical certificate that was read by the respondent's lawyer during the January 7 preliminary conference.
“Now I have to require the doctor who examined Marcos Jr to have his medical certificate notarized and indicate his medical license number,” she posted on her Twitter account, @rowena_guanzon Monday.
Based on the medical certificate, the physician said Marcos had a temperature of 37.8 degrees Celsius, and his throat was hyperemic and swollen, after examining him in the morning of January 6 at the latter’s residence in Makati City.
Reports, however, said Marcos entertained a radio program on the same day.
“So why didn’t his lead lawyer submit a medical certificate dated Jan 6 if this is true? I will order the doctor and Atty (Vic) Rodriguez to show cause or require his physician to have his medical certificate notarized,” the poll body Commissioner added.
On Friday, the First Division held the preliminary conference on the three petitions to disqualify Marcos from running in next year’s polls, filed by Bonifacio Ilagan, among others, Abubakar Mangelen and Akbayan.
Guanzon gave the parties to submit their memoranda 48 hours after the proceeding or until noon of January 9, through electronic mail.
The cases are submitted for resolution after the petitioners and the respondent have submitted their memoranda.
Meanwhile, Akbayan urged the poll body to hold Marcos in contempt for supposedly lying about his absence in last Friday’s meeting.
“He lied through his teeth. He deserves to be held in contempt,” Akbayan First Nominee Percival Cendaña said in a statement.
The group is questioning the radio interview granted by Marcos a day before the hearing.
“The fact that he was able to give a radio interview less than a day before his required appearance in a hearing is not only proof of deception, it shows the whole nation that he does not care about our laws and the procedures that bind every citizen to follow them,” he added.
The camp of the former senator, in a statement, claimed that the radio interview aggravated his condition.
Earlier, Guanzon said the division is expected to issue a resolution by the middle of the month. (PNA)
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