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‘ZERO EVIDENCE’
TOWNS Foundation calls for dismissal of Bongbong’s protest vs. Robredo
By LLANESCA T. PANTI,GMA NewsThe Outstanding Women in the Nation's Service (TOWNS) Foundation has joined the call for the Supreme Court’s dismissal of the poll protest lodged by former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo, saying Marcos has zero evidence to support his election fraud allegations.
The TOWNS Foundation, which awarded Robredo a Tanglaw Award in 2016 for championing women's rights, issued the statement almost a week after the Supreme Court—sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET)—asked Robredo’s camp, as well as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Solicitor General, to comment on Marcos’ bid to annul votes in the provinces of Basilan, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao due to alleged poll fraud.
The Foundation cited that Robredo’s lead actually increased to 278,566 votes from 263,473 votes
in the aftermath of the manual recount of votes in three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos in accordance to PET rules.“After four years of hearing the electoral protest filed by Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. against the sitting Vice President, Maria Leonor Robredo, there is zero evidence of poll fraud that taints Leni's victory. Not even a whiff of irregularity,” the Foundation said.
Likewise, the Foundation cited Rule 65 of the PET Rules which states that “if upon examination of such ballots and proof, and after making reasonable allowances into account, the protestant or counter-protestant will most probably fail to make out his case, the protest may forthwith be dismissed, without further consideration of other provinces mentioned in the protest.”
The three pilot provinces were Camarines Sur, Negros Oriental and Iloilo.
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“With no substantial recovery, the protest can only be deemed baseless. It’s high time that PET dismiss the case,” they added.
Given that former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin already said in October 2019 that a decision on Marcos’ poll protest was forthcoming, the Foundation said that further delay decision is a cause for concern.
“We are concerned that unexplained delays are hindering the rightful immediate dismissal of the Marcos petition before PET. We, the members of TOWNS Foundation, hope and pray that the High Tribunal will dismiss the protest with finality,” the Foundation said.
“This decision will be most welcomed by a nation in dire need of stability and justice,” the Foundation added.
Prior to TOWNS Foundation’s call, opposition coalition Tindig Pilipinas also called for the dismissal of Marcos’ poll protest, saying that the PET cannot remain blind to the fact that Robredo won the 2016 Vice Presidential race fair and square. — BM, GMA News