MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo’s lawyers for the poll protest lodged by former senator Bongbong Marcos have a simple but a startling reminder to him after he pressed for the inhibition of the Supreme Court (SC) justice handling the case:
Your father is no longer in power.
Lawyers Beng Sardillo and Emil Marañon told Marcos in a statement on Monday that he can no longer do anything he desires and act like a brat as his father, former president Ferdinand Marcos, has been ousted long ago.
Marcos filed a petition on Monday morning before SC, asking Justice Marvic Leonen to inhibit from the poll protest case handled by the high tribunal seating as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) — as he claims that justice will be elusive with Leonen in charge due to the latter’s hatred towards his family.
“We are not surprised. This is another trademark move of Mr. Marcos. If he doesn’t get what he wants, he moves to attack the integrity of an institution or a person to force them to give in to his desires,” Robredo’s lawyers said.
“May we remind Mr. Marcos that it’s already 2020. This is no longer the period of his father’s reign of terror where they can do anything they want. Stop acting like a spoiled brat who cries when he doesn’t get his candy,” he added.
Marcos noted that Leonen, the justice-in-charge of the poll case, has made several statements against the Marcoses in the past.
The Marcoses have been criticized for plundering the country while the patriarch was in power for over two decades. He was also blamed for the deaths and disappearance of many political activists and administration critics during his time,
According to Sardillo and Marañon, it is clear that Robredo won the 2016 polls.
Marcos and Robredo had a tight battle for the vice presidency in 2016, with the latter edging Marcos by a slim margin. This led to speculations that the past administration, who fielded Robredo for the polls, cheated their way to the vice presidency.
However, initial recounts made by the PET in 2019 showed that Robredo even gained more votes in three pilot areas picked by Marcos for the recount. This prompted the seating Vice President to urge Marcos to accept the results of the polls.
“Face reality. Vice President Leni Robredo won. Twice,” the lawyers said. [ac]