Who will be president if Marcos is disqualified, Leni or Sara?

 

An analyst said Friday that proving the Commission on Elections committed grave abuse of discretion is an uphill battle after the Supreme Court ordered all parties to comment on the disqualification cases of leading presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. 

The Comelec dismissed the petition to deny due course or cancel Marcos' certificate of candidacy through a division decision and later through an en banc ruling (COC). On Monday, the organizations filed a petition for certiorari, arguing that the Comelec misused its authority.

The evidence must be substantial and demonstrate a "gross, deliberate, and arbitrary judgment taken by the Comelec," according to lawyer Pacifico Agabin, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law. If Marcos' COC is canceled, then Vice President Leni Robredo or her expected successor Sara Duterte-Carpio will sit as President, according to Agabin. 

Various parties and people have petitioned Comelec, arguing that Marcos Jr. committed substantial false representation when he asserted under oath in his COC that he was eligible and not disqualified to run for president despite his tax conviction.