Palace on OSG backing to inhibit Leonen: Knowing VP poll results is public interest

MANILA, Philippines — It is the public interest to know the 2016 vice presidential race results, Malacañang said Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said this when asked why the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) is backing former Senator Bongbong Marcos’ motion seeking for the inhibition of the Supreme Court justice handling his poll protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

“Sa batas po na bumuo ng Office of the Solicitor General, they’re actually counsels for the people and I suppose ang motion had to be filed because it’s in the interest of our people na malaman natin sino talaga ang nagwagi para sa bise presidente,” Roque said in an online briefing.

(Under the law which created the Office of the Solicitor General, they actually counsel for the people and I suppose the motion had to be filed because it’s in the interest of our people to know who really won as vice president.)

Asked if Solicitor-General Jose Calida sought President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval before filing the motion, Roque noted that the President does not “micromanage.”

Marcos on Monday filed a motion asking Supreme Court Associate Justice Marvic Leonen to inhibit from his election protest against Robredo.

Hours after Marcos filed the motion, Calida joined the losing vice presidential candidate’s call for Leonon to inhibit himself from the election protest.

Robredo’s legal counsel suspected possible collusion between Marcos and Calida, citing the similarities in their motions’ arguments.

But Marcos made it clear that his camp had no prior talks with Calida over their separate motions seeking Leonen’s inhibition in the poll protest.

JPV