Marcos camp scores Robredo legal team’s dilatory tactics

The camp of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. said the legal team of Vice President Leny Robredo is resorting to delaying tactics as they intend to file a motion for reconsideration (MR) on the decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on the former’s electoral protest. (Photo: Thinking Pinoy – TP/Facebook)

MANILA –The camp of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. said the legal team of Vice President Leny Robredo is resorting to delaying tactics as they intend to file a motion for reconsideration (MR) on the decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) on the former’s electoral protest.

Atty. Vic Rodriguez, spokesman of Marcos, noted that the Supreme Court (SC) sitting as PET already ruled against the issue pointed out by the Vice President.

“Despite the Tribunal’s ruling that this issue was already “beyond dispute”, Robredo’s legal team is still looking for ways to delay the proceedings,” he said in a statement.

“If Robredo has nothing to hide, why resort to all these delaying tactics? It’s not enough that her camp cheated their way to the Vice-Presidency. Now they want to cheat again by depriving Sen. Marcos of his day in Court. We want the truth to come out. That’s all,” Rodriguez added.

But, the lawyer noted that it is expected for the camp of the Vice President to appeal the SC ruling.

“We are not surprised by the pronouncement of Leni Robredo’s counsel that they will appeal the recent PET decision which found former Senator Bongbong Marcos’ election protest to be sufficient in form and substance,” he said.

Marcos’ spokesperson added, “Their actuation on the protest have been consistent: they are afraid of the truth because it would reveal how much they tarnished and debased the true will of the Filipino people in the Vice-Presidential race.”

Last month, the PET has affirmed its earlier resolution finding the former senator’s election protest to be sufficient in form and substance.

The January 24, 2017 ruling denied the motion filed by the former Camarines Sur representative to conduct a preliminary hearing on his election protest and eventually dismiss the same for lack of jurisdiction.

“On the matter of the sufficiency of the protest, the same [is] already beyond dispute. With the issuance of the Summons, the Tribunal has found the Protest to be sufficient in form and substance. The Protest contained narrations of ultimate facts on the alleged irregularities and anomalies in the contested clustered precincts, which the protestant needs to prove in due time,” part of the 8-page Resolution said.

In his election protest, Marcos urged the PET to nullify the proclamation of Robredo as duly elected vice president of the country as this was a result of massive electoral frauds committed to ensure her victory.

In the May 2016, Robredo won the vice presidency after receiving 14,418,817 votes over Marcos’ 14,155,344 votes.