PET ruling ‘puts to rest’ doubts on 2016 polls’ integrity —Robredo

Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday welcomed the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), upholding the integrity of the 2016 automated elections.

In an interview with reporters during her Metro Laylayan visit in Pasay City, Robredo said the ruling finally "put to rest" doubts about last year's polls.

"Masayang masaya kami, kasi parang... marami nang kinukuwento na hindi naman totoo. Iyong pag-dismiss noong first cause of action, parang kinonfirm lang iyong matagal na naming sinasabi... Na una, talagang malinis iyong naging eleksyon. Hindi lang kami ang nagsabi noon, pero lahat ng election watchdogs, sinabi na malinis, so hindi totoo na massive iyong cheating. Hindi totoo na malawakan iyong pandaraya na nangyari noong eleksyon," she said.

"Kung ating naaalala, nagkaroon ng preliminary conference noong nakaraang buwan. Tinanong na nito si Ginoong [Bongbong] Marcos kung desidido talaga siyang isulong ito, iyong first cause of action. Sabi niya, oo. Kaya natutuwa tayo na dinismiss na, kasi finally parang pinut to rest na niya iyong mga questions tungkol sa validity noong nakaraang eleksyon," she added.

In a resolution dated August 29, the PET junked former Senator Marcos' first cause of action for being "meaningless and pointless."

The tribunal said "allowing the first cause of action (annulment of proclamation) to continue would be an exercise in futility and would have no practical effect."

"To be sure, the Tribunal cannot allow this exercise to even begin especially if it were to consider the amount of resources and time it will demand of the Tribunal," it added.

Marcos' protest would be limited to revision or manual recount of the actual ballots and annulment of election results for the position of vice president in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur and Basilan on the ground of terrorism, intimidation, harassment of voters and pre-shading of ballots.

Marcos, son of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, lost to Robredo by just 263,473 votes in the May 2016 election which the former senator claimed was marred by fraud. — MDM/KVD, GMA News