MANILA, Reuters – An opposition group to Ferdinand Marcos’s candidacy in next year’s presidential race asked the Election Commission on Wednesday for an order banning him from the contest. He was convicted for tax evasion.

Called the Campaign Against the Return of the Marcoses and Martial Law, the group will file a petition for the disqualification of Ferdinand Marcos Jr after he emerged as the frontrunner https://reut.rs/3cgfgEC for the May election.

Satur Ocampo (an ex-convenor of the group) said the petition was similar to another one that had been filed. This is due to Marcos’s two-decade-old conviction for tax evasion.

Ocampo told Reuters that public officials who break the Internal Revenue Code are permanently disqualified from any office or participation in elections. He cited an article in the code.

From 1986, when the revolution of “people power”, overthrew the dictatorship in the Philippines, the late dictator was the ruler of the country for more than two decades. He died in exile in 1989.

Marcos’ wife and children denied allegations of the plucking of billions of US dollars worth of state assets while Marcos was president. These wealth items were valued at $10 billion as of 1987.

Marcos Jr was convicted by a trial court of tax evasion for not filing his income tax returns between 1982 and 1985. An appeals court upheld the conviction in 1997.

Marcos Jr. has however been elected governor and congressman. He was also elected senator in 2010.

Ocampo, who ran in the past for public office, said that, even though he was convicted, it does not necessarily mean the issue cannot be raised again.

On Nov. 26, the poll body will hold a preliminary conference to address the complaint of disqualification filed in October by a group comprising political detainees, medical organizations and people rights groups against Marcos.

Marcos (64) has declared that Marcos’ petition has “no legal basis” and is without merit.

On Tuesday, Rodrigo Duterte’s daughter announced that he has chosen her to serve as his vice-presidential running mate. This confirms weeks of speculation about an alliance of two powerful families.