Tindig Pilipinas: How long will SC remain blind to Robredo’s 2016 VP race victory?

The Supreme Court—sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET)—is remaining blind to the 2016 victory of Vice President Leni Robredo  by refusing to dismiss the poll protest of her defeated opponent Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr., who already lost the manual vote recount, Tindig Pilipinas said Thursday.

The opposition coalition was responding to the PET decision ordering  Robredo, as well as the Commission on Elections and Office of the Solicitor General, to file comment on Marcos’ bid to annul the votes in Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao due to alleged poll fraud.

“How long will the Supreme Court remain blind to the fact that Vice-President Leni Robredo won the 2016 vice-presidential elections? How long will the Supreme Court remain insensitive to the people’s decision that Leni Robredo was the legitimately elected Vice-President?” the group said in a statement.

“Four years have passed and every order by the Supreme Court to have the ballot boxes opened, and every recount conducted, Leni Robredo has always emerged the winner, validating her victory in the 2016 elections,” they added.

Tindig Pilipinas was referring to the manual vote recount in three pilot provinces done by PET which increased Robredo’s 263,473 lead over Marcos by 15,000 more votes.

The pilot provinces, chosen by Marcos in accordance to PET rules, were Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

“Why does the Supreme Court indulge Bongbong Marcos’ attempt to grab power and why doesn’t the Supreme Court stop the shenanigan? This charade should have ended since the SC justices know how to count or is that too much to assume?” Tindig Pilipinas said.

“Enough. This is not justice. This is insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result.  Isa lang ang Bise Presidente, at walang iba kundi si Leni Gerona Robredo,” they added.

Robredo’s camp has argued that Marcos’ poll protest should already be dismissed since Rule 65 of the PET rules state that the one who filed a poll protest  should have a significant recovery of votes in at least three pilot provinces of his or her own choosing before the poll protest could proceed. Otherwise, such protest shall be dismissed.

In addition, the Vice President has also said that Marcos’ protest should be dismissed in the aftermath of the manual recount of votes since the annulment of votes is not provided under PET rules. — BM, GMA News