Robredo tells her supporters she has won

Leading VP candidate Leni Robredo during the thanksgiving mass in Ateneo Church of the Gesu. INQUIRER PHOTO / JILSON SECKLER TIU

THE LIBERAL Party (LP)  vice presidential candidate, Leni Robredo, on Sunday claimed victory in the electoral race, saying it was mathematically impossible for her closest rival, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to catch up with her.

“It’s irreversible. We have won,” the Camarines Sur congresswoman told a big crowd of supporters from a makeshift stage at Ateneo de Manila University in Quezon City.

Robredo’s claim of victory has basis because her camp has copies of election returns (ERs), according to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).

PPCRV vice chair Johnny Cardenas said Robredo’s camp had official copies of the ERs that may have yet to be transmitted by the transparency server of the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Asked to comment on Robredo’s claim of winning  the vice presidential race, Cardenas said: “It’s possible.”

Boyet Dy, head of Robredo’s campaign policy unit, said publicly available data showed it would be “mathematically impossible” for Marcos to overcome her advantage.

“Based on the Comelec tally on its website as of 2 p.m., up to 99.51 percent of the returns from cities and municipalities have come in. Only nine municipalities have not turned in COCs (certificates of canvass),” he said.

As of Sunday afternoon, a total of 1,643 out of 1,651 COCs had been transmitted to the Comelec’s central server.

These are to be canvassed by Congress next week and are separate from the quick-count tabulation on the Comelec’s transparency server.

The remaining COCS, according to Dy, are from Rizal, Laguna; Allen, Northern Samar; Catarman, Northern Samar; Lope de Vega, Northern Samar; Binidayan, Lanao del Sur; Masiu, Lanao del Sur; Tamparan, Lanao del Sur; Indanan, Sulu; and Bacungan, Zamboanga del Norte.

Dy said these municipalities had 168,988 registered voters. By his logic, Robredo would still come out on top even if all these votes went to Marcos, as Robredo was enjoying a lead of 257,567 votes as of  Sunday afternoon.

He also said all “uncounted votes,” including the remaining local and overseas absentee votes, as well as untransmitted local votes, totaled 233,226. Even if all these votes went to Marcos, Robredo would win by a hairline 24,341 votes.

Dy did not say where he got the 257,567 figure, but based on the transparency server made available to the public, Robredo’s lead was 219,224  as of Sunday afternoon.

The Senate and the House of Representatives are expected to convene as the national board of canvassers for the presidential and vice presidential votes next week.

“Numbers do not lie. Because of this, we wholeheartedly say that no one can stop Leni Robredo. We have full trust that she is our next Vice President,” Dy said.

Addressing the allegations of fraud, Robredo said, “You know I would never allow myself to be used either as an instrument or recipient of cheating.”

Her campaign team has also begun to refer to Robredo as “Vice President-elect.”