Manual recount will affirm Robredo’s victory, lawyer says

A lawyer for Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday expressed confidence that the manual recount of ballots in the poll protest would only affirm Robredo's victory in the 2016 elections.

"Kumpiyansa kami at walang dapat ikatakot sa magiging resulta ng recount dahil walang dudang si Vice President Leni Robredo naman talaga ang nanalo noong 2016 elections," attorney Romulo Macalintal said in a statement.

READ: Kampo ni VP @lenirobredo, buo ang kumpiyansa sa harap ng mag-uumpisa ng recount ng boto para sa pagka-pangalawang pangulo. | via @wengsalvacion pic.twitter.com/7zC5FIpTDA

— DZBB Super Radyo (@dzbb) April 1, 2018

Macalintal said the recount would only prove that the accusations levied against Robredo by her opponent, former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, were baseless and untrue.

"Mapapatunayan ng recount na ito ang panalo ni Vice President Robredo noong 2016 at makikita na pawang kasinungalingan lang ang akusasyon ni Ginoong Marcos laban sa ating bise-presidente," Macalintal said.

The lawyer said that no single election protest involving local elective positions has been successful, with the previous protests dismissed after the results of the physical count of ballots tallied with the results of the vote counting machines and the canvassing system.

"Sa kasaysayan ng ating automated election system, wala pang nananalong protesta sa halalan mula pa noong 2010," Macalintal said.

Macalintal said Marcos' protest will be dismissed if he is not able to prove any "substantial recovery" from the three pilot provinces, which include Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.

The Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), will start the manual recount of ballots from 5,418 clustered precincts on April 2.

The 1,400 ballot boxes from Camarines Sur will be the subject during the first day of recount.

Marcos has accused Robredo of cheating in the 2016 elections after he lost to her by 263,473 votes. — Anna Felicia Bajo/BM, GMA News