Brillantes shushes Marcos: Script tweak ‘nonsense’ issue

Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Friday said he assured vice presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that the change done in a script used in the transparency server was just a “minor issue.”

Brillantes, who will represent Marcos during the canvassing of votes in the Congress, said that he advised Marcos not to make a fuss over the matter.

READ: Comelec says script tweak was minor, did not affect results

When asked whether the Marcos camp was alarmed, he said: “Hindi. Hindi naman naalarma (No. They were not alarmed).”

“Pero sabi ko nga dapat hindi naman maalarma. In fact, I talked to him yesterday. Sabi ko sa kanya, huwag na lang kayong maingay talaga naman minor lang ‘yon,” Brillantes told reporters at the Philippine International Convention Center.

(But I told them not to be alarmed. In fact, I talked to him yesterday. I told him not to make a fuss over the matter because it’s just minor.)

He added that the Comelec transparency server, which is currently used by the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), was unofficial.

READ: Ex-Comelec chair Brillantes to represent Marcos in vote canvassing

“Ang sinasabi ko naman ay huwag naman palakihin ito. Ang real canvass naman ay sa Congress. Marami naman mangyayari doon. Marami kayong madidinig sa camp ni Bongbong. Hindi ganito, minor lang ito. Kinabahan lang kasi sila na nalaman nila iyon,” he said.

(I’m telling them not to make a big deal out of the issue. The real canvass would be in Congress. Many things would happen there. You would hear a lot of things from Bongbong’s camp. Not this one, it’s just a minor issue. They were just nervous upon learning of the incident.)

The son and namesake of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos is trailing behind Liberal Party vice presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonora “Leni” Robredo in the race for the second highest post in the land.

The senator earlier alleged that the change made in the script caused his lead against Robredo to decrease and that the ruling Liberal Party was behind the scheme.

However, the former Comelec chief noted that the issue is now getting much attention.

“Kita mo kung hindi nagsalita si Bongbong, lumaki ba sana ito? Hindi. Parang walang kwenta. Ngayon lumalaki na. Lumaki na nang lumaki,” he said.

(If Bongbong didn’t speak up on the issue, would it be a big deal? No. It would be trivial. Now, it is getting much attention.)

“Kagaya nito may commissioner na iba ang pananaw sa issue, lumalaki lalo. Di ba? Ayon, nag-iingay ang isa,” he added.

(There is a commissioner who has a different take on the issue, it is getting more attention. Right? She has been airing her comments.)

He was referring to the comments aired by Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon that the Smartmatic, the automated elections technology provider, breached protocol when one of its engineers tweaked the script.

READ: Guanzon: Smartmatic broke protocol, should be held accountable

Brillantes, who was seen by the media at the canvassing center as early as Tuesday, said they will continue to monitor the issue. RAM