Senator Bongbong Marcos and Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo. FILE PHOTOS
The camp of leading vice president candidate Leni Robredo on Thursday urged the camp of Senator Bongbong Marcos to move on from his cheating allegation now that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) ruled out the possibility of automated fraud.
In a press conference at Robredo’s headquarters in Microtel Acropolis Eastwood, spokesperson Georgina Hernandez said Comelec chairperson Andy Bautista had ruled out automated fraud in the execution of a new computer command in the transparency server as alleged by the Marcos camp.
“Kami ay naniniwala at patuloy na nagtitiwala na malinis ang eleksyon na ito, at walang dayaang naganap. Tulad ng sinabi ni Chairman Bautista, it was a mere change, it does not in any way change the counting of the votes,” Hernandez said.
(We believe and we continue to have faith that the elections were clean and no cheating took place. Like what Chairman Bautista said, it was a mere change…)
“Nilinaw din naman po niya (He also clarified), that he can categorically say there is no cheating,” she added.
Bautista in a press briefing on Thursday admitted that the Smartmatic changed the computer command in the server, but the new script did not alter the election results.
READ: Comelec says script tweak was minor, did not affect results
He said the new script in the server only corrected the spelling mistake in the name of deceased presidential candidate Roy Señeres.
“There is no cheating whatsoever,” Bautista said.
Hernandez said Robredo’s camp believed that there was no cheating in the elections, where Robredo has been leading according to the unofficial count from the Comelec server.
Hernandez urged Marcos’ camp to move on from the issue and allow Robredo to assume the vice presidency.
“Galangin natin ang proseso. Nagsalita na ang taumbayan, malinaw naman po na lamang pa rin si Congresswoman Leni Robredo. Hindi namin alam kung saan nanggaling ang alegasyong ito,” Hernandez said.
(Let’s respect the [electoral] process. The people have spoken and it’s clear that Congresswoman Leni Robredo is ahead. We don’t know where this allegation comes from.)
“Consistent ang sinasabi ng ating mga Comelec, at foreign observers, sana respetuhin ang naganap na democratic exercise at sana tayo ay magkaisa magsama sama para makapag move on na tayo at makapagsimula sa pagsisilbi sa bayan,” she added.
(What the Comelec and foreign observers said has always been consistent. Let’s respect the democratic exercises and hopefully, let’s be united so we can move on and start serving our country.)
In a press briefing on Wednesday, Marcos’ lawyer Francesca Huang said a new script was executed in the Comelec transparency server around 7:30 p.m. on May 9, around the time Marcos was leading in the unofficial count.
She said Marcos’ lead started to erode since then to give way to Robredo, who has since then maintained a 200,000 vote lead over Marcos.
But the Marcos’ camp has yet to give evidence to substantiate that Marcos’ votes were shaved in favor of Robredo.
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 had 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 Liberal Party 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.
READ: Robredo says Marcos’ server anomaly claim ‘mind conditioning
“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. TVJ
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