MANILA — Majority of the 5 cases seeking to block Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s presidential bid have been elevated to the division level of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), with the remaining 2 still awaiting development less than 6 months away from the 2022 polls.

• Marcos Jr.'s camp says disqualification petition a 'predictable nuisance'

Aside from the petition to cancel Marcos' certificate of candidacy (COC) initiated by Christian Buenafe and other civic leaders, 2 more petitions have been raffled off to the Comelec second division as confirmed by the Office of the Clerk of the Commission to ABS-CBN News.

JUST IN: 2 more legal challenges vs Bongbong Marcos’ presidential bid have been raffled to Comelec 2nd division:

• Tiburcio Marcos’ petition to cancel COC
• Danilo Lihaylihay’s petition for declaration as nuisancehttps://t.co/3sMw3T5F1u

— J.E. Villaruel (@jauhnetienne) November 24, 2021

This means the second division will handle, for now, 3 out of 5 anti-Marcos cases, namely:

• Buenafe, et al. vs Marcos - Petition to cancel COC
• Tiburcio Marcos vs Marcos - Petition to cancel COC
• Danilo Lihaylihay vs Marcos - Petition to declare Marcos a nuisance candidate

The Comelec second division is composed of Duterte-appointed commissioners Socorro Inting and Antonio Kho, who is currently vying for the vacant associate justice post at the Supreme Court.

• Comelec commissioner, COA chief among 10 vying for SC post

There are currently 5 separate petitions filed before the Comelec, all trying to stop the late dictator's son from participating in the presidential race.

• 'Dangerous': Probe sought into Marcos camp's 'insider knowledge' at Comelec

The Office of the Clerk of the Commission also told ABS-CBN News the Bautista, et al petition to intervene, as well as the Ilagan, et al petition for Marcos' disqualification have yet to move forward.

The camps of Marcos and Buenafe et al petitioners will face off Friday for the preliminary conference set by the second division.

Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez had earlier said the number of cases filed vs Marcos' candidacy was the most he has seen in recent memory.

• Marcos presidential bid most contested since Poe's 2016 legal row— official

However, the Marcos camp has repeatedly labelled the petitions as "trash" and "nuisance" engineered by "yellow wannabe political assassins."

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