It’s ‘game over’ for Marcos’ electoral protest —Robredo’s lawyer

Vice President Leni Robredo’s lawyer believes that the election protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is “essentially” dead.

Lawyer Romulo Macalintal disclosed at a press briefing on Wednesday that an eight-page supplemental manifestation was filed before the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), which states that “Marcos did not make a substantial recovery from his pilot provinces for his protest to continue.”

“Essentially, this is game over for Marcos as he failed to make substantial recovery from the provinces of Iloilo, Negros Oriental and Camarines Sur,” Macalintal said.

“Marcos needs to obtain substantial recovery in his designated pilot provinces before recount could proceed in other areas that he questioned in his election protest,” the lawyer noted.

Based on present recount tally as well as the history of previous electoral protests, Marcos’ protest is dead, Macalintal concluded, saying were no radical differences that could influence the final results.

“Sa aking palagay … wala kasing recovery... Saka ito ay base sa mga past election protests involving automated elections na kung saan recount lamang ang ginawa,” the lawyer noted.

"In this particular case, sa three provinces na ito, recount proceedings lang ito … so nung magrecount, nagtally lahat ng votes,” he added.

Marcos’ lawyer Vic Rodriguez said Macalintal’s statements are nothing but a “drive to earn media mileage” for his senatorial bid in the coming mid-term polls next May.

“Nakakaawa naman si Macalintal. As an officer of the court, it is clear to me that only the PET can determine whether we have sufficiently established our case to warrant the continuation of the manual recount and judicial revision,” Rodriguez said

The election lawyer noted that the Vice President actually gained additional votes from ballots with less than 20 percent threshold after the recount and re-appreciation, which could even increase her previous winning margin of 263,473 votes.

On Tuesday, legal counsels of both camps said the SC has indefinitely suspended the revision proceedings of Marcos’ electoral protest case against Robredo.

The High Tribunal said the initial stage of the manual recount of ballots has been completed, citing the respective positions taken by Marcos and Robredo’s lawyers.

“The revision proceedings for the remaining ballot boxes and decrypted ballot images will continue on January 28, 2019. In the interim, the Tribunal shall prepare for the use of decrypted ballot images in the revision proceedings,” the SC said.

The suspended revision proceedings would have no effect on the process as a whole, according to Robredo’s lawyer.

“Wala namang impact 'yun kasi bahagi lang 'yun ng proseso ... I don't see any impact on the ongoing revision or recount. Sabi naman nila we will be advised kung kailan magpapatuloy ‘yung recount. But I don’t think magkakaroon pa ng recount dahil tapos na nga ‘yung pagrerecount,” Macalintal said.

“Ang tinitingnan na lang nila ay ‘yung mga ballot images of the ballots which were not previously counted. I think it only involves 120 clustered precincts,” he added.

Marcos lost to Robredo by 263,473 votes in the May 2016 national election—which the former senator claimed was marred by fraud. —VDS, GMA News