Late Philippine dictator’s son clears key election hurdle

By JIM GOMEZ
Associated Press

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Philippine election officials have dismissed three more petitions seeking to disqualify the son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos from the upcoming presidential election in a ruling that removed a major obstacle to his candidacy, which human rights groups oppose. The Commission on Elections says the three petitions against Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s candidacy, which were consolidated into one case, were dismissed for lack of merit. A final case remains pending, and petitioners of six dismissed cases have either appealed or intend to do so in a legal fight that will likely reach the Supreme Court as campaigning continues for the May 9 election. Marcos Jr., whose father was overthrown in a 1986 “people power” uprising, has topped pre-election surveys by a wide margin.