“Shut up for lack of sensible matter to say,” the camp of former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos told Vice President Leni Robredo following her speech attacking members of the media who reported that her lead in the recount is dwindling.
Atty. Vic Rodriguez, spokesman for Marcos said Robredo should learn to respect not only the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) but also members of the media who are covering it.
“At this moment, it would be best if she just follow our lead in observing silence, shut her mouth for lack of sensible matter to say and accord utmost respect to members of the media and the Tribunal’s resolution on sub judice,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez said the Vice President’s action is an “attempt to dilute all negative news affecting her in the election protest.”
“We find it ironic and lamentable that Mrs. Robredo attacked the media on World Press Freedom Day,” Rodriguez said.
“If her votes have indeed been substantially reduced, it is not because of BBM but of evidence of her cheating that have come out,” he added.
Sources within PET, said that on the third week of the manual recount, Robredo’s lead was down by 21,000 votes. Thus, Robredo’s lead of 263,473 votes over Marcos narrowed to about 242,000.
PET insiders also noted several wet ballots as well as missing voters’ receipts in Camarines Sur alone.
An insider said that missing voters’ receipts could mean that the votes cast were different from what was transmitted by the vote counting machines (VCMs).
Since the start of the manual recount and revision of ballots last April 2, PET revisors already finished with the towns of Baao, Balatan, Bato, Buhi, Bula, Camaligan, Canaman, Ocampo, Gainza, Garchitorena, Lagonoy, Magarao, Pili, Presentacion, Sangay, and San Fernando.
PET revisors still need to finish with 17 more towns and two cities in Camarines Sur. /muf