Philippines activists ready for long battle to keep Marcos from power

FILE PHOTO: Philippine presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr., son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, gestures as he delivers his speech during the first day of campaign period for the 2022 presidential election, at the Philippine Arena, in Bocaue, Bulacan province, Philippines, February 8, 2022. REUTERS/Lisa Marie David/File Photo

MANILA (Reuters) - Petitioners seeking to bar Ferdinand Marcos Jr from the Philippines presidency said on Friday they were bent on keeping "autocratic figures" from power and would use all legal channels to stop the election frontrunner, including the Supreme Court.

Complainants failed to convince the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to disqualify Marcos, 64, the son and namesake of the late Philippines dictator, on the grounds of his decades-old conviction for tax violations. Commissioners on Thursday said the petitions lacked merit.