Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo’s lawyers on Monday asked the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to release the results of an initial recount done as part of the electoral protest filed by ex-senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
The lawyers sought a copy of the Summary and Committee Report on the revision, recount and re-appreciation of ballots from three pilot provinces identified by Marcos, namely Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.
This should “put to rest the speculations and in the greater interest of transparency,” Robredo’s camp said a day before the Supreme Court, sitting as the PET, was expected to rule on whether the protest would continue based on the recount results.
“We have our own copy of the revision reports, but these are our own files. The official tallies must come from the revision committees, which they must give to Justice Caguioa,” said Robredo lawyer Romulo Macalintal, referring to the Supreme Court Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the magistrate in-charge of the protest case.
Macalintal on Sunday said Robredo would remain as vice president, regardless of the PET’s decision on the initial recount, since this would only determine whether the protest case should continue.
Macalintal also underscored that it was “mandatory” for the PET to follow Rule 65, which states that a “substantial recovery” must be seen in the initial recount for the case to proceed.
“If you did not recover votes, your case must be dismissed,” he said in Filipino.
Detained senator Leila de Lima urged the public to “pray for a just and judicious ruling from the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.” (PressONE.ph)