Marcos lawyer blasts ‘presumptuous’ Robredo for claiming victory

Former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. hit the camp of vice presidential race front-runner Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo for claiming victory in the hotly-contested race for the second highest office in the land.

Brillantes, through a series of tweets from his official account posted on Monday, slammed Robredo’s camp for claiming the vice presidency “without a single canvass document being opened.”

He then blasted “presumptous” Robredo for asking Marcos to concede.

“How can Robredo claim victory when not a single official canvass document has been opened? Congress has not even convened as canvass body.

“Now Robredo wants BBM to concede based on alleged small unofficial lead. She cannot be that presumptuous,” Brillantes said.

Brillantes had earlier said that he will represent Marcos during the canvassing of votes for the vice presidency.

READ: Ex-Comelec chair Brillantes to represent Marcos in vote canvassing

Congress will convene as the national board of canvassers to declare the country’s next president and vice president on May 25.

READ: Congress to convene as canvassers board on May 25

On Sunday, Robredo said that it is “mathematically impossible” for Marcos to win the vice presidency and catch up with her lead.

“It’s irreversible. We have won,” the Camarines Sur lawmaker told supporters at the Ateneo de Manila University.

Robredo’s camp said that even if all 168,988 registered voters from the nine remaining municipalities which have not transmitted their certificates of canvass would go to Marcos, they will still emerge victorious as the lawmaker is enjoying a lead of 257,567 votes as of Sunday afternoon.

READ: Robredo camp claims will beat Marcos at least by a hairline

According to the latest partial and unofficial tally provided by the Comelec’s transparency server, Robredo trumps Marcos with more than 219,000 votes. JE