Bongbong Marcos: No discussions with Calida on poll protest, quo warranto move vs Leonen

Former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. on Monday said he has had no discussions with Solicitor General Jose Calida on his election protest and on the latter's move to initiate quo warranto proceedings against Supreme Court (SC) Associate Justice Marvic Leonen.

At an online press conference, Marcos said he believes he and Calida are "moving independently" of each other. He said he has his own legal team and does not need to consult the solicitor general, whom he said "is not a supporter of mine" and is instead "the counsel for the state, for the government."

Calida, who campaigned for Marcos in 2016, has recently submitted his opinion to the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), saying the court can nullify elections as part of its mandate to decide all election contests for president and vice president.

In his challenge to Vice President Leni Robredo's election win, Marcos has sought the annulment of election results in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, and Basilan due to alleged terrorism and voter harassment.

Meanwhile, Calida and lawyer Lorenzo Gadon, a Marcos supporter, have asked the SC for copies of Leonen's Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth "for purposes of preparing a quo warranto petition," according to court spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka. The SC has denied their request.

Marcos on Monday asked Leonen to stop participating in proceedings in his election protest against Robredo, claiming that the justice is "biased" and "prejudiced" against him and his family.

Asked to clarify whether he supports Calida's quo warranto move, Marcos said: "I cannot because I am in no discussions with the SolGen so I don’t know what his thinking is on the quo warranto case. You will have to ask the SolGen about that."

But he said he is "in touch" with Gadon.

"Yung kay Atty. Larry Gadon inaawat ko nga siya. I was telling him, wag muna, wag muna, wag muna until lumabas nga 'yung comments galing sa Comelec at saka sa SolGen. Naging maliwanag na panlilinlang talaga ang ginagawa ni Justice Leonen so nagfile na siya, nag-ano na siya para sa SALN," Marcos said.

Asked whether he and Calida will "join forces," Marcos said:

"Well, you should ask the SolGen about what his plans are. If he does in fact move to support our motion, then it just means he agrees with our arguments. I think that we are moving independently and we have come to the same conclusions," he said.

He said he does not yet see any moves by Calida.

In 2018, Calida also appeared to side with Marcos by taking the position that the PET should maintain its 50-percent shading threshold during the recount of ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.

Robredo had been moving for the use of the 25-percent shading threshold, which she said was the standard used by the Comelec itself in the elections.

The PET eventually set aside the 50-percent threshold.

Marcos' election protest has been pending for more than four years. Robredo's term ends in 2022.—AOL, GMA News