Minority senators call for dismissal of Marcos poll protest vs Robredo

MANILA, Philippines — Members of the Senate minority bloc on Tuesday called for the dismissal of the poll protest of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.

This came after the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), did not rule on the committee report on the result of revision of ballots from three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos and instead decided to allow the release of the report to the two parties.

“Ang dapat mangyari ngayon: I-dismiss na ang kaso. Tantanan na ang kasinungalingan. Tanggapin na ang katotohanang si Leni Robredo ang Pangalawang Pangulo ng bansa,” Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon as well as minority senators Leila De Lima, Risa Hontiveros, and Kiko Pangilinan said in a joint statement.

(What should happen now is the dismissal of the case. Stop the lies. Accept the truth that Leni Robredo is the Vice president of the country.)

The Supreme Court asked the camps of Robredo and Marcos to comment on the committee report and submit a memoranda on other issues relating to the jurisdiction as well as about Marcos’ third cause of action which seeks to nullify election results for the vice presidency in Lanao Del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao.

But the senators argued that the Supreme Court should follow its own rules, saying that the case should already be dismissed if Marcos was not able to show substantial recovery after the initial determination in the three pilot provinces.

“Bakit po kaya tila isinantabi ng Korte ang sarili nitong patakaran, na nagsasabing dapat nang i-dismiss ang kaso kung hindi maipakita ang paghabol ni Ginoong Marcos sa mga probinsyang siya na ang pumili? Kailan po kaya matatapos ang kasong ito? Kapag nabaliktad na ang mundo, at naging totoo na ang kasinungalingan?” the minority senators lamented.

(Why does it seem like the Court is setting aside its own rule, which states that the case should be dismissed if Mr. Marcos is not able to show substantial recovery in the provinces he chose himself? When will this case end? When the world has flipped upside down and the lies have become real?)

The senators also backed the decision of Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to dissent from the majority.

Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa also dissented.

“Si Bise Presidente Leni Robredo ang nakakalap ng mas maraming boto noong nakaraang eleksyon. Siya ang halal, ligal, karapat-dapat, at tunay na Bise Presidente ng ating bansa. Nananawagan kami sa lahat na manindigan din sa katotohanang ito,” the senators said.

(Vice President Leni Robredo garnered more votes in the previous vice presidential elections. She is the elected, legal, rightful, and real vice president of the country. We call on everyone to stand by this truth.)

Robredo beat Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential elections by over 260,000 votes.

Marcos, however, questioned the results of the elections and filed an electoral protest. /je