Marcos pays PHP36-M initial fee for poll protest vs VP Robredo

Former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., on Monday paid a PHP36.2-million for the first installment for his election protest filed before the Supreme Court (SC) sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo. (Photo: Bongbong Marcos/Facebook)

MANILA—Former Senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr., on Monday paid a PHP36.2-million for the first installment for his election protest filed before the Supreme Court (SC) sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

The PET ordered Marcos to pay PHP66,223,000 for the 132,446 precincts for his election protest against Robredo to proceed.

In its three-page resolution, PET ruled that Marcos should pay PHP36,023,000 on or before April 14 and PHP30-million on or before July 14 while Robredo is required to pay PHP8-million on or before April 14, and PHP7,439,000 on or before July 14.

Marcos went personally to the SC Clerk of Court to pay the first installment.

”Galing ako sa Office of the Clerk of Court at ako ay nag-comply sa order na bayaran na first tranche para sa protest ko. Kahit na meron kami mga disagreement sa pag kalkula pati sa pag issue ng order dahil pinapabayad kami ng PHP36 million kahit na Semana santa, kahit na Good Friday and Maundy Thursday,” he told reporters on Monday.

He also thanked his friends and supporters pulled in resources to raise the PHP36 million.

”Buti na lang meron akong mga kaibigan na nag-magandang loob, na tama at makatarungan ang aking prptest. At sila rin ang, kagaya ng sabi ko, mga umikot at kumuha ng suporta at ng tulong, nangolekta, nagtoka toka para mabuo yung PHP36-M. Walang bangko nung Huwebes at nung Biyernes. Hindi kami makapagcomply. Buti na lang tinrabaho nila over the Holy Week,” he added.

Because of this, the payment for the first installment was processed on Monday.

Marcos said despite that they already paid the due amount, they are still to file a motion for reconsideration.

”Yes. That’s the plan. Simple lang. There are two elements. Number 1 is that the calculation should be by clustered precinct. As our reading and interpretation of the rules is that the calculation should be by clustered precinct. Ang ginawa ng SC is by precinct, which is we don’t agree with. And then the manner in which the order was given was very… masyado kaming minadali. At kagaya ng sinabi ko, eh mabuti na lang at maraming lumapit at nag-offer na tumulong,” he noted.

Meanwhile, the camp of Robredo on Monday asked the PET to hold in abeyance her payment of PHP15.44 million as deposit for her petition to dismiss the election protest filed by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

In a manifestation, Robredo through her lawyer Romulo Macalintal asked the PET for clarification on its order directing her to pay the amount saying that the rules do not require her to deposit the said amount yet.

He said that under Rules 65 of the 2010 Rules of the PET, Robredo should be asked to pay the cash deposit only after there is a necessity to retrieve and collect her counter-protested clustered precincts.

“Thus, without preempting the Honorable Tribunal, protestee Robredo asks that the payment of her cash deposit be deferred until such time that that the recount and revision of all the 36, 465 protested clustered precincts has terminated,” the manifestation said.

He further said that the motion for reconsideration they have filed of the resolution finding the election protest as sufficient in form has yet to be resolved by the PET and that any favorable action on their plea will have an effect or bearing on the total number of clustered precincts that would be the subject of the election protest.

But Macalintal stressed in their motion that they are not abandoning their obligations, adding that they just wanted the PET to clarify its order.

“Should this motion be denied, protestee Robredo is willing to pay the cash deposit for her counter-protested clustered precincts,” he added.

Marcos earlier said he decided to file the electoral protest due to the series of frauds, anomalies and irregularities that marred the May 9 elections and that such activities made sure he would lose to Robredo, the vice presidential candidate of the administration’s Liberal Party.

Robredo won the 2016 vice presidential race with 14,418,817 votes or 263,473 more than Marcos who got 14,155,344 votes.