Despite having no pending motion, the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo has filed a plea with the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to consider as “withdrawn” any supposed pending motion that may delay the ballot recount.
Robredo, through her legal counsels Romulo Macalintal and Maria Bernadette Sardillo, filed the motion on Thursday in the face of the accusations made by former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that she “will not withdraw any pending motions.”
Macalintal, in a statement, insisted that while they have no pending motion with the tribunal, the move to file the motion “was an acceptance of Marcos’ challenge that they file a motion to withdraw all pending motions that could stop the recount.”
“If there is any pending motion of the protestee which may delay the recount proceedings the same should be considered as WITHDRAWN or ABANDONED,” Macalintal said.
READ: Marcos a ‘no-show’ in own challenge vs Robredo
The Vice President’s camp filed the motion a day after Marcos was a “no-show” at Shakey’s Pizza on Roxas Boulevard in Malate, Manila where the signing of a joint motion was supposed to take place.
Macalintal further stressed his argument that Marcos signed the wrong pleading, a “joint manifestation,” to withdraw any pending motion before the PET.
This was contrary to what Marcos’ camp was saying in their earlier news releases to the media, Macalintal said.
READ: Bongbong signed wrong document – Robredo lawyer
Lawyer Victor Rodriguez, counsel of Marcos, issued a statement on Sunday, Feb. 4, daring Robredo to “sign a joint motion withdrawing all our outstanding motions so we could go straight to the recount.”
“Marcos’ no-show and a failure to sign a join motion are clear indications that he was merely bluffing in issuing a challenge to the Vice President,” Robredo’s counsel stressed.