Robredo lawyers ask PET to junk Marcos plea to suspend use of ballot images in recount

Vice President Leni Robredo's lawyers have asked the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to deny for "utter lack of merit" former senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s plea to suspend the use of ballot images in the vote recount in some Camarines Sur and Iloilo towns.

One of Robredo's legal consultants on Tuesday filed a motion asking the PET for leave, or permission, to formally oppose Marcos' bid for the court to hold in abeyance ballot image use in re-appreciating votes in 25 contested clustered poll precincts.

The Commission on Elections was asked to comment on Marcos' motion. Robredo's lawyers were not, but they said the vice president "sincerely believes in presenting arguments to aid the Honorable Tribunal in its resolution."

In early July, Marcos opposed a PET resolution on the use of ballot images instead of paper ballots in 25 clustered precincts in Camarines Sur and Iloilo, arguing it was a "grave mistake" because the decrypted ballot images are "compromised."

Robredo's lawyers, however, countered that after January 29, the day Marcos questioned square markings on the ballot images before the media, he "has not filed any pleading, motion or submitted any evidence...to substantiate his allegations that the decrypted ballot images have been compromised."

They further claimed that the decrypted ballot images will only confirm the results of the 2016 election reflected in the Election Returns, Statement of Votes by Precinct, the Municipal/Certificate of Canvass and the Provincial Certificate of Canvass.

"Clearly, aside from his self-serving and unsubstantiated allegations, there is no truth to the misleading assertions of protestant Marcos on the lack of integrity of the decrypted ballot images," the Robredo filing said.

"Now that the decrypted ballot images will confirm the victory of protestee Robredo and his defeat, protestant Marcos is now assailing the integrity of his own evidence. This simply cannot be allowed."

Robredo won against Marcos in the 2016 vice presidential race by over 260,000 votes. Marcos, son and namesake of the late former president, cried fraud and protested Robredo's victory, which has led to the recount and re-appreciation of ballots in three pilot provinces: Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.

The results of the recount in the three provinces will determine whether or not Marcos' case will proceed with the rest of his 31,047 contested clustered precincts. — RSJ, GMA News