Marcos to SC: Order Comelec to release decryption results of SD cards

Former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos and Vice President Leni Robredo (Photos from PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER)

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday urged the Supreme Court to protect the SD cards and order the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to release the results of the decryption of the SD cards from the 1,356 vote counting machines (VCMs) in his election protest against Vice-President Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

In his four-page manifestation of grave concern with motion filed before the high court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), the former senator also urged the high court to order the Comelec to provide them with copies of the minutes of the proceedings and/or transcript of stenographic notes taken during the closure/stripping activities of the VCMs on October 26, 2016 and November 2, 2016.

“…As well as the results of the decryption of the SD cards from the one thousand three hundred fifty six (1,356) units of contingency VCMs, which were found to contain data during the said closure/stripping activities,” the manifestation stated.

Marcos opposed the Comelec’s decision to release the supposedly unused vote counting machines to Smartmatic, citing the alleged election fraud committed by Vice President Leni Robredo.

The Comelec has just reported with the SC that it shall release 1,356 units of vote counting machines as pleaded by Smartmatic since it is not covered by the Precautionary Protection Order issued by the tribunal.

Earlier, PET ordered the election body to preserve the “automated election equipment and records such as Vote Counting Machines (VCM), Consolidation and Canvass System (CCs) units, Secure Digital (SD) cards (main and back up), and the other data storage devices in all of the ninety two thousand five hundred nine (92,509) clustered precincts used in the May 2016 elections, effective immediately and continuing until further orders from the Tribunal.”

Marcos filed his election protest against Robredo by alleging there was rigging of the elections done by the Liberal party headed by then President Benigno Aquino III. JE/rga