SC set to tackle Bongbong poll protest today

MANILA, Philippines - The Supreme Court (SC) is set to tackle today the election protest of former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.

Sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), the high court has included the case in its regular session, according to an insider.

The case filed with the PET, which is composed also of all 15 SC justices as members, was included in their agenda last week but the court deferred action due to absence of some justices.

It was earlier learned that the case has been raffled to Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, the last appointee of former president Benigo Aquino III, who is tasked to study the protest and submit recommendations for actions of the PET.

Caguioa and Aquino were classmates from elementary to college at the Ateneo de Manila University. Prior to his appointment to the SC last

January, Caguioa was Aquino’s chief presidential legal counsel and secretary of justice.

Aquino’s sister, popular actress Kris Aquino, was the top campaign contributor of Robredo in the polls. The Aquinos and Marcoses are known political rivals.

In his protest, Marcos questioned the election results in 39,221 clustered precincts in 25 provinces and five cities all over the country involving some 9 million votes.

Marcos lost to Robredo by a slim margin of 263,473 votes in the final and official tally of votes. He garnered 14,155,344 votes while Robredo got a total of 14,418, 817 votes.

He sought the nullification of about a million votes cast in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao over claims of massive cheating.

Marcos also asked the PET to order the reopening of ballots and manual recount of about eight million votes in 23 provinces and five cities.

After hearing, the son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos sought the annulment of the proclamation Robredo as vice president and his declaration as duly elected vice president.

Veteran poll lawyer Romulo Macalintal, counsel of Robredo, said yesterday the PET is not expected to immediately act on the case.

“With due respect to the members of the Supreme Court constituting the PET that will hear and decide the election protest of former senator Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo, the tribunal should first make a judicial determination as to whether or not Marcos’ protest is sufficient in form and substance to avoid unnecessary expenses by both parties,” he said in a statement.

Macalintal believes that the poll protest is not sufficient in substance and could be dismissed outright.