Comelec to list costs of Marcos poll protest before PET

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/NINO JESUS ORBETA

MANILA — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) expressed readiness on Wednesday, to comply with the order of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to submit itemized costs it may be required to pay concerning the poll protest filed against Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

“That is simply the itemized cost of the election protest. If the Comelec is the proper party to issue that, I dont think there’s problem complying with it,” said Spokesman James Jimenez.

In its recent resolution, the Supreme Court, sitting as PET, required the Comelec to make a report on the actual amount it may incur in using the election machines in the recount of votes for Marcos and Robredo from the May 2016 elections.

Marcos lost to Robredo in the May 2016 polls by a slim margin of 263,473 votes.

This has prompted Marcos to file an election protest before the PET as he accused Robredo of “massive electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities.”  SFM