PET eyes ruling on VP protest next year

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Election Tribunal (PET), hopes to rule on the election protest filed by former senator Bongbong Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo before the start in October 2021 of the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2022 elections.

Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta told reporters at a virtual press conference on Friday that he has already reminded the PET of the court’s policy, which is to resolve all election cases before the filing of COCs in October 2021.

“The Supreme Court would like that all election cases should be terminated before the end of the term. That is the policy of the court,” Peralta said when sought for update on the election protest filed by Marcos against Robredo.

“It would still be better... that cases should be decided before the filing of certificates of candidacy, which is October 2021,” he added.

Marcos filed the election protest to contest the victory of Robredo in the election for vice president in 2016.

He asked the PET to nullify Robredo’s proclamation, as well as recount and revise the ballots in 36,465 protested clustered precincts, and nullify the election results for vice president in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan over alleged terrorism, intimidation and harassment of voters, among others.

The PET had already concluded the recount in the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental, which were picked by Marcos himself.

The PET recently required the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to comment on pending issues in Marcos’ election protest.