Binay camp unfazed by Mar's possible poll protest

Hours before his proclamation as winner in this year's vice presidential race, the camp of outgoing Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay downplayed a possible electoral protest from his Liberal Party rival, Sen. Manuel Roxas II. In a radio interview Wednesday, Binay's lawyer Aquilino Pimentel III said that they are not threatened by any protest Roxas might file, even as they said they would study it closely. "Titingnan namin ang allegation [kung] ano ang irereklamo. Kung null votes lang... ang grounds, di kami nababahala (We will look into the allegations they will raise. But if the protest will be based on so-called null votes, we are not worried)," Pimentel said in an interview on dwIZ radio. Roxas' camp on Tuesday indicated it is considering a possible electoral protest before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal. [See: Roxas mulls filing poll protest] The possible protest may involve some 2.6 million "null votes." On the other hand, Pimentel said people should now unite behind the elected leaders of the country. "Tapos na ang period na medyo kakabahan ka. Itong protest titingnan namin ano ang allegation (The time for worrying is over, although we will look into the protest should it be filed)," Pimentel said. Incidentally, Pimentel himself has a pending electoral protest at the Senate Electoral Tribunal, which he filed in connection with the 2007 elections. — RSJ, SD,GMANews.TV