Bongbong pays another P30 million for poll protest fee

MANILA, Philippines — Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., who is disputing his loss in the vice presidential race in 2016, has paid the P66 million poll protest fee required by the Supreme Court in full.

The Marcos camp deposited the P30.2 million second tranche to the SC’s Cash Collection and Disbursement Division on Monday. The payment will cover the cost of the recount and retrieval of ballots for his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

The payment was made a day ahead of the scheduled preliminary conference of his protest against Robredo before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. The payment was also completed before the July 14 deadline.

The high court earlier ordered Marcos to deposit P66 million for the 132,446 precincts included in his protest.

Robredo was ordered to raise P15 million for the 31,278 precincts included in her counter-protest against Marcos.

Marcos paid the first installment of P36.023 million on April 17. He identified at least 40 friends and supporters who helped him raise the amount required by PET.

The vice president, on the other hand, paid the first installment of P8 million required for her counter-protest against Marcos before the SC on May 2.

Marcos earlier filed a protest questioning the integrity and reliability of the Vote Counting Machines, Consolidating Canvass System units, secure digital cards and other storage devices using during the May 2016 elections. He also requested for the preliminary conference to let his protest proceed.

Marcos and Robredo will face each other before the high tribunal on Tuesday afternoon. The former senator will be represented by lawyer Estelito Mendoza during the pre-trial which will allow both parties narrow down the conflict for a speedier disposition of the case. —Rosette Adel