Palace respects PET ruling on 25 % ballot shading threshold

Malacañang respects the decision of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), upholding the 25 percent shading threshold in the recount of votes between Vice President Leni Robredo and former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Palace would not comment further on the ruling, saying President Rodrigo Duterte was not a party to the electoral case.

“None, because the President is not a party to the electoral protest and that is the decision of the PET so be it,” Roque replied when asked to comment in an interview over CNN Philippines’ “The Source” on Wednesday.

“We will implement the decision of the PET. That is why we let the PET do its job,” he added.

In a resolution dated September 18 but was released only on Wednesday, the Supreme Court, acting as the PET, said the 50 percent shading threshold “was no longer applied” in the 2016 national elections.

Robredo, whom Duterte earlier described as “incompetent,” is facing an electoral protest before the PET after Marcos accused the Vice President of cheating in the May 2016 elections, which also catapulted Duterte to the presidency. /muf