PET denies Leni’s motion to affirm victory in 2016
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 18 Jul 2019 09:25:24 +0000
ROBREDO (From OVP Facebook page)
The Presidential Electoral Tribunal, composed of all Supreme Court justices, has denied last month’s plea of Vice President Leni Robredo to resolve immediately all pending incidents in the electoral protest filed against her by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
Robredo would have wanted the PET to dismiss Marcos’ electoral protest and confirm her victory in the 2016 vice presidential election.
In a motion, Robredo told the PET:
“Without pre-empting the resolution of the Honorable Tribunal, the result of the revision, recount, and re-appreciation of the ballots clearly confirm the victory of protestee Robredo.”
She claimed that with the completion of the revision and recount in the three provinces – Camarines Sur, Negros Oriental, and Iloilo – her lead over Marcos increased by over 15,000 votes.
But the PET, in resolving the motion, said: “… the Tribunal has yet to complete the proceedings following Rule 65 of the 2010 PET Rules, which entail judicial recount, revision, and appreciation of the votes cast in protestant’s (Marcos’) pilot provinces.
“The figures submitted by protestee (Robredo) are merely speculative.
“In arriving at the figures, protestee presumes that all her claims will be admitted by the Tribunal.
“This premise is fundamentally flawed as the Tribunal is still in the process of appreciation of the revised ballots and ruling on the respective objections and claims made by the parties thereon.
“The Tribunal’s final tally of votes after recount and appreciation has yet to be completed and released.
“Thus, the Court resolves to deny protestee’s motion on the ground of prematurity.”
The PET resolution was issued last July 2 but was released only yesterday morning.
The manual recount and revision of ballots in three provinces identified by Marcos in his protest started in April last year and ended last March 4. (Rey Panaligan)