The Supreme Court has been asked to dismiss the quo warranto case filed by suspended lawyer and former nuisance presidential candidate Elly Pamatong against President Rodrigo Duterte.
In a 21-page comment, Solicitor General Jose Calida urged the SC to dismiss for lack of merit Pamatong’s petition that accused Duterte of usurping the powers of the chief executive due to his alleged invalid certificate of candidacy for the 2016 polls.
The Solicitor General described Pamatong’s suit as a “nuisance petition” consisting of “false allegations.”
The chief state lawyer even asked the SC to sanction petitioner who “deplorably trivialized the rules of procedure” and who “may be held liable for indirect contempt without prejudice to the corresponding administrative and criminal actions.”
Calida disputed Pamatong’s claim that Duterte’s certificate of candidacy in the May 2016 presidential poll was invalid because his withdrawal of COC for mayor in Davao City and substitution for presidential bet of PDP-Laban were not allowed under the rules of the Commission on Elections.
“The Comelec resolution affirming the certificate of candidacy of President Duterte as valid and effective has attained finality and can no longer be assailed,” Calida said.