MANILA – Davao City mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s former election lawyer reminded her that candidates for public office were required to be honest even if it was “technically” not listed as a qualification under the constitution.
The Commission on Elections can reject a certificate of candidacy if someone running for an elective post misrepresented or lied about his qualifications, said lawyer Emil Marañon III on Tuesday.
“Ang requirement ng batas is for all candidates to be actually honest,” Marañon said.
Duterte-Carpio was criticized for insisting honesty should not be an election issue and was not required of senators, in an effort to defend Ilocos Norte governor Imee Marcos, whose school diplomas were under question.
Marcos is among 13 senatorial candidates endorsed by Duterte-Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago regional party for the May elections.
The mayor later clarified she was referring only to senatorial candidates, who needed to meet only the constitutional requirements of age, citizenship, residency, and literacy.
“For me, parang nagiging pilosopo masyado kasi kung titingnan mo, kahit hindi nakalagay doon, eventually when you assume office, it will be required sa’yo,” said Marañon, who lawyered for the mayor during the 2010 elections.
TERRIBLE EXCUSE
“It’s not just an excuse, but a terrible excuse. Come to think of it, paano mo mae-expect na maging honest sila later on ‘pag nakaupo na, eh kung tumatakbo pa lang, hindi na sila sincere?” Marañon said.
In an open letter, Duterte-Carpio sardonically urged detained Sen. Leila De Lima to craft a law “adding honesty as a requirement for all Filipinos before they can run for public office.”
“Hindi kailangan because lahat ng rules regarding that are already in place,” said Marañon, who now lawyers for some opposition senatorial candidates. “To a certain extent, I’m disappointed na marinig ‘yan because, of course, we expect from her to comply with the law.”
The Comelec, he noted, earlier required candidates in the May elections to declare in their COCs if they had “ever been found liable for an offense which carries with it the accessory penalty of perpetual disqualification to hold public office which has become final and executory.”
“Even before election, puwede kang tanggalin ng Comelec. Ganun ka-importante ‘yung clause na ‘yun,” Marañon said. (ABS-CBN News/PN)
