SC forms team to examine ballots in Marcos vs Robredo poll protest

Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo. (File photos from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

The Supreme Court (SC) acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) has already created a retrieval team to get the ballot boxes that are the subject of the electoral protest of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos against Vice President Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.

In a five-page resolution dated Aug. 8, but made public Wednesday, PET said the team is tasked to locate and examine all ballot boxes in the contested provinces and cities in order to facilitate their retrieval and transport to the SC compound for the revision.

The resolution designated the following SC employees—lawyers Mercedes Mostajo and Linuel Alindogan of the Office of the Chief Attorney as leaders; Joy Jemima Reyes and Jeffrey Raymond Atienza of the Cash Collection and Disbursement Division as Special Disbursing Officers; and Joery Gayanan and/or any official/employee to be recommended by the Office of the Administrative Services as Chief Security Officer and/or Assistant Chief Security Officer.

They will each receive a compensation of P5,000 monthly.

The same resolution which was signed by Clerk of Court Felipa Anama stated that each Revision Committee be composed of a coordinator who shall be a lawyer, a recorder and a representative, each from the protestant and protestee.

The resolution also required the parties to designate their respective alternative representatives.

It also provided a compensation of P1,500 per clustered precinct for each Revision Committee, which will cover the members’ compensation and supplies with the coordinator receiving a compensation of P780 while the recorder will be entitled to P480.

The remaining P184 will be for their supplies or materials.

The Tribunal also amended its old rule, which required that the coordinator must come from SC personnel as it directed the Office of the Acting Chief Administrative Officer to post the vacancies for the members of the Revision Committees and accept applications for the staffing complement.

The Acting Clerk of the Tribunal will screen the applicants for the position of Coordinators of the Revision Committee.

The PET issued the resolution based on what has been agreed upon during the preliminary conference last July and another conference to discuss the suggestion of both parties for the logistics, time frame and other steps to expedite the proceedings. JPV

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