Bongbong Marcos' camp fears 2022 elections will render poll protest vs. Robredo moot

The camp of former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. on Wednesday said time is running out for the Supreme Court (SC) to decide his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. 

With less than two years left before the 2022 elections, the election protest pending before the court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), "is under real threat of becoming moot and academic," Marcos' spokesman, Vic Rodriguez said in a statement. 

Rodriguez said the filing of candidacy, campaign, and national elections would "reduce the clamor and right of the people to know who really won the vice presidency illusory."

The spokesman made the statement following a new PET resolution directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) to comment on issues related to Marcos' bid for the annulment of election results in three provinces in Mindanao allegedly due to terrorism and fraud. 

Though he welcomed the development, Rodriguez said they have reservations about the "route chosen by the justice in charge."

"Instead of directly proceeding with the technical examination and forensic investigation he lamentably added another layer that would cause tremendous delay in referring the matter to the Office of the Solicitor General and the Comelec to file their respective Comment," he said. 

Marcos is challenging Robredo's victory in the elections four years ago, claiming that the win was a result of poll fraud. As a part of PET proceedings, Marcos chose three pilot provinces that "best exemplify" his allegation of fraud. 

The recount of ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental, however, showed an additional 15,000-vote lead on the part of Robredo over Marcos. 

Under PET rules, the tribunal may dismiss a case if it finds that the protest will "most probably fail to make out his case" judging from the examination of ballots from the pilot provinces. 

Instead, the PET, with only two justices dissenting, ruled in October 2019 to first order the parties to submit their positions on another part of Marcos' protest — the annulment of election results in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Maguindanao on the ground of alleged terrorism, intimidation, voter harassment, and pre-shading of ballots.

For Robredo's camp, the results of both the elections and the recount show that the vice president had won. 

"Dalawang beses nang nanalo sa bilang si VP Leni. Matagal nang tapos ang boksing.  Matagal nang talo si Marcos. Tapusin na natin ito," said Beng Sardillo, one of Robredo's lawyers. —KG, GMA News