Palace to answer quo warranto vs. Duterte

FILE: Malacañang will respond to the Supreme Court (SC)’s order to President Rodrigo R. Duterte to answer a quo warranto pleading seeking to nullify Duterte’s victory in 2016. (RICHARD MADELO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

MANILA — Malacañang will respond to the Supreme Court (SC)’s order to President Rodrigo R. Duterte to answer a quo warranto pleading seeking to nullify Duterte’s victory in 2016.

“We will respond as ordered,” Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque told the Palace media on Friday.

The SC on Friday reportedly gave Duterte 10 days to comment on the petition filed by suspended lawyer Elly Pamatong.

Pamatong, a former nuisance presidential candidate, claimed Duterte’s certificate of candidacy (COC) was illegal since it was not approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Duterte was a substitute for Martin Diño who withdrew his COC for president. Diño is now undersecretary of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The former mayor for 23 years of Davao City eventually won the presidential election with six million votes margin over his closest rival in the May 2016 polls.

Pamatong filed a quo warranto plea against the President after the SC granted on May 11 a quo warranto petition nullyfing the appointment of Maria Lourdes Sereno as Chief Justice in 2012.

Solicitor General Jose Calida filed the quo warranto petition against Sereno over her failure to file statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).