Zero vote happened not only to Marcos but also to Robredo, says Leni lawyer

GETTING a zero vote in certain clustered barangays happened not only to Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. but also to Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo—who are neck and neck in the vice presidential race.

Debunking claims of cheating, the camp of Robredo on Monday showed that at least 18 clustered precincts in some provinces gave all the votes to Marcos and zero for Robredo and the three other vice presidential candidates.

“This shows that getting zero votes is possible,” Robredo’s lawyer Romulo Macalintal said in an interview with reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City, where the Commission on Elections (Comelec) was canvassing votes for the senatorial and party-list races.

Statistically impossible

Last week, Marcos raised suspicions of election rigging after receiving reports from some provinces that the transmitted votes to the Comelec server gave all the votes to Robredo and zero vote to the other candidates.

Marcos said these incidents occurred in Lanao del Sur, Cotabato City and other provinces in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, describing these as “statistically impossible.”

Documents showed that Marcos won a total of 6,828 votes, or 100 percent of the votes cast, and zero for Robredo in the clustered precincts in the following areas:

Barangay Langil in Basilan (563 votes); Santa Praxedes, Cagayan (63 votes); Macupit Elementary School, Ilocos Norte (364 votes); Pias-Gaang in Pias, Ilocos Norte (105 votes); Apatut-Lubong in Pinili, Ilocos Norte (189); Puzol Elementary School in Pinili, Ilocos Norte (154 votes).

Sitio Nagtenga, Ilocos Norte (327 votes); Bannawag, Anganadan in Isabela (327 votes); Bagong Buhay, Palayan City in Nueva Ecija (325 votes); Tagumpay National High School in San Jose, Rizal (576 votes); Pantao in Talipao, Sulu (204 votes) and New Era Elementary school in Tandang Sora, Quezon City (657 votes).

Marcos also swept votes in two clustered precincts in New Era, Dasmariñas City, with combined votes of 1,386; and two clustered precincts in Barangay Maligaya in Nueva Ecija with a total of 795 votes.

Clannish, bloc-voting

At least three of the clustered precincts were in areas that are a known stronghold of the bloc-voting religious sect Iglesia ni Cristo, which earlier endorsed Marcos.

“In areas that are clannish or where political leaders really have a strong grip, they usually give zero votes,” Macalintal said. “Even the Supreme Court recognizes the fact that it happens and zero votes are acceptable.”

Macalintal recently disclosed that he would be representing Robredo when Congress convenes as the national board of canvassers on May 23 and proclaim the winners in the presidential and vice presidential contests.