De Lima lawyer to 13th placer Tolentino: Concede, move on

Former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER PHOTO/Jilson Seckler Tiu

THE counsel of former Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has some choice words for 13th placer former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino following the end of the eight-day canvassing of votes for senators and party-list groups.

Speaking to reporters, Atty. Donnah Camitan asked Tolentino to accept his defeat.

“We’ve been very patient. It was an accurate, transparent showing of all the results from all 164 certificates of canvass. Kung saan nanggagaling si Chairman Tolentino, I don’t know. We just hope that he would learn to admit his defeat this time,” Camitan said on Wednesday.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the national board of canvassers (NBOC), ended the canvassing of 165 certificates of canvass on Wednesday night.

Camitan has earlier asked the NBOC to proclaim the top 12 senators, saying then that the votes from the remaining COCs will not affect the ranking of the candidates who entered the “magic 12.”

According to the canvass report with 121 of 165 COCs canvassed released on Monday, De Lima is in 12th place, beating Tolentino with more than 1.2 million votes.

On Wednesday, Tolentino’s camp asked the Supreme Court to stop the proclamation of winners in the senatorial race who placed 10th to 12th. He said that the SC should order the poll body to allow the forensic audit of the extent of the effect of the unauthorized manipulation in the transparency server script by a Smartmatic personnel.

Sought for her reaction, Camitan said: “I’m very confident that the Supreme Court would rule according to what is right and for this proceeding. Walang violation na nangyari sa loob ng national board (of canvassers). Nothing at all.”

“Let’s just move on. Nag-decide na ang tao eh,” Camitan added.

The Comelec is set to proclaim the winning 12 senators and party-list groups on Thursday.