Robredo camp accepts Marcos’ challenge to withdraw pending motions

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday accepted the challenge of former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to withdraw all their pending motions before the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Robredo's lead counsel Romulo Macalintal said that this will confirm that they are not causing the delay in the recount of ballots since it is Marcos who is raising "baseless allegations and irrelevant issues that is causing the delay in the recount."

"We accept the challenge of Mr. Marcos and his lawyer to sign a joint motion to withdraw any and all pending motions and incidents at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal which may cause the delay of the recount of ballots from the pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental," Macalintal said in a statement.

"I am inviting Mr. Marcos and his lawyer tomorrow at 9;00 AM to sign a joint motion," he added.

Marcos' spokesperson Victor Rodriguez over the weekend renewed their challenge to Robredo to sign a joint motion withdrawing all of their pending motions, in order to hasten the recount for the election protest.

Marcos earlier claimed that he found "proof" of fraud to support his election protest against Robredo after they reviewed some of the soft copies of ballot images from clustered precincts in several towns in the pilot provinces of Camarines Sur and Negros Oriental.

He said copies of ballot images from Barangay Salvacion in Tigaon, Camarines Sur, and barangays Poblacion and Jilocon in Negros Oriental showed that votes for him were not counted and were considered undervotes.

Marcos said that in some of the ballot images, even though two or more candidates were shaded in the vice presidential race, the votes still went for Robredo instead of being declared overvotes.

Marcos, son of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, lost to Robredo by 263,473 votes in the May 2016 election which the former senator claimed was marred by fraud.

GMA News Online has sought comment from Marcos' camp but they have yet to reply as of posting time. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/KBK, GMA News