Vice presidential candidates Leni Robredo and Bongbong Marcos. INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS
In the middle of a tight vice presidential race, leading candidate Leni Robredo on Thursday said the accusations of her rival Sen. Bongbong Marcos of automated electoral fraud only serve to condition the minds of the electorate.
In a phone patch interview with GMA News’ morning program “Unang Hirit,” Robredo urged Marcos’ camp to report to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) instead of going to the media about the supposed anomaly.
She denied that the Liberal Party cheated the elections to cause her to lead in the vice presidential race.
“Ako, naghihintay din ako ng paliwanag ng Comelec kasi gusto ko ring maliwanagan. Ang klaro lang sa akin, wala kaming ginagawang masama. Hindi kami party sa kahit ano. Kung ano ang accusations nila, kailangan nilang i-substantiate,” Robredo said.
(I also am awaiting the explanation of the Comelec because I want to be enlightened. What is clear to me, however, is that we have done nothing sinister. We are not party to anyone. We have to substantiate whatever the accusations are.)
She said she found it unfair that the Marcos camp would cry out automated electoral fraud without giving substantial evidence.
Robredo said the accusations only served to condition the minds of the public that the electoral process was compromised.
“Kasi unfair sa napakaraming tao na sumisigaw sila na mayroong pandaraya, mayroong fraud na wala silang ebidensiya, walang basehan. Mina-mind condition lang nila ang tao,” Robredo said..
“Sa akin, kung may reklamo, ipadala sa nanunungkulan bago sabihing may pandaraya. Kasi unfair iyon sa akin at unfair sa lahat ng tumutulong sa akin,” she added.
(It is unfair to many people that they are crying out that there is cheating, that there is fraud without showing proof, without basis. They are only conditioning the minds of the electorate.
(If there is a complaint, address is to the concerned parties before declaring that there is cheating. Because that is unfair to me and to all those who helped me.)
Robredo begged off from commenting about the supposed server anomaly in the Comelec transparency server that allegedly shaved the votes for Marcos and increased those for her, adding that she was not an expert to make any valid claim.
READ: Comelec transparency server tampered with, IT expert claims
She said though that IT experts have said it would be difficult to cheat the elections to increase the lead of just one candidate.
“Palagay ko, hindi kami ang dapat ang sumagot niyan dahil wala kaming access sa server. Pero nababasa ko iyong mga reaksyon ng eksperto sa eleksiyon, mga IT experts, nagsasabi sila na parang napakahirap gawin iyon kung isang kandidato iyong ang makikinabang,” Robredo said.
“Parang ang sinasabi nila, pag pinakialaman ang programa, ang integrity ng buong results apektado… Hindi ko masyadong naiintindihan dahil hindi ako mahusay sa computer kaya siguro dapat ipaliwanag sa atin ng Comelec,” she added.
(I think we’re not in the position to answer that because we have no access to the server. But I have read the reaction of election experts, the IT experts, and they said it might be very hard to do that if only for the benefit of a single candidate.
(They seem to be saying, if you tamper with the program, the integrity of the entirety of the results would be affected…I don’t fully understand because I am not a computer expert, so perhaps we should ask the Comelec to explain.)
According to the latest unofficial and partial count in the Comelec transparency server as of 1:45 p.m., Robredo maintained her 200,000 vote lead over Marcos.
Robredo got 13,988,020 votes or 35.12 percent, while Marcos got 13,773,725 votes or 34.58 percent, according to the unofficial count from 95.84 percent of the total 92,509 clustered precincts.
Refusing to accept defeat, the camp of Marcos accused the administration of orchestrating the execution of a new computer command in the Comelec transparency server that allegedly shaved some votes for Marcos and increased the votes for Robredo.
READ: Bongbong hints LP behind alleged server anomaly
Marcos also decried alleged massive cheating by the Liberal Party, supposedly the administration’s “Plan B’ to rig the elections to make Robredo win and then have presumptive President Rodrigo Duterte impeached in a bid to have the LP regain control of Malacañang.
READ: Marcos on Robredo lead: ‘Plan B’ in full swing
Robredo earlier said it was unfair for Marcos to accuse her of cheating without substantiating it.
“Napakaunfair na masabing nandadaya na hindi mo naman sinasubstantiate (It’s so unfair to accuse someone of cheating without substantiating your claim),” Robredo said in a press briefing on Tuesday. CDG
READ: Robredo dares critics: Prove accusations of LP poll cheating