Duterte wants Guanzon to inhibit from DQ cases

MANILA, Philippines - The camp of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday sought the inhibition of Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon from the disqualification cases lodged against him.

In a 17-page Motion for Inhibition filed before the Comelec, Duterte’s lawyers asked Guanzon not to take part in the hearing of the cases because she is biased against the mayor. 

“All the foregoing considered and to prevent respondent Duterte from harboring at the back of his mind any thought that the scale of justice has been filed against him, respondent Duterte is left with no other recourse but to ask that Commissioner Guanzon inhibits or disqualifies herself from the pending petitions,” the motion read.

Duterte is facing four disqualification cases filed by broadcaster Ruben Castor, nuisance presidential candidate Rizalito David, University of the Philippines Student Council chairman John Paulo Delas Nieves and lawyer Elly Pamatong before the Comelec First Division to which Guanzon belongs. 

The petitioners claim that Duterte’s certificate of candidacy (COC) should be cancelled because his substitution of Martin Diño was invalid.

The motion alleges that Guanzon had shown bias when she became the lone dissenter in the full commission’s decision to accept Duterte’s COC last Dec. 17.  

The motion said there were several issues raised by Guanzon in her dissenting opinion although they were not mentioned in Castor’s petition, which shows that she has prejudged the case.