Marcos a no-show in Leni camp challenge

MANILA, Philippines - Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not show up yesterday to answer the challenge of Vice President Leni Robredo’s lawyer to prove his claims of fraud in last year’s vice presidential elections.

“The absence of Marcos and his spokesman Vic Rodriguez is a clear admission and proof that their claimed ‘massive electoral fraud’ on 13 Secure Digital (SD) cards retrieved from unused (vote counting machines or) VCMs that allegedly favored Robredo and caused the defeat of Marcos was baseless, frivolous, self-serving, and were merely intended as a media stunt,” lawyer Romulo Macalintal said.

Marcos said the SD cards have folders containing data, while they were supposed to be empty, since the VCMs were not used by the Commission on Elections in the May 9, 2016 polls.         

Macalintal then dared Marcos to meet him in front of the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila yesterday at 10 a.m. to show evidence of his allegation. The latter did not show up.

He said if Marcos and his spokesman are “sure and confident of their accusation, they should be bold enough to sign this Memorandum of Agreement (MOA).”          

Under the MOA, Macalintal would withdraw as Robredo’s lead lawyer and surrender his license as a lawyer to the Supreme Court (SC), if Marcos proves his claims true.

On the other hand, if Marcos and Rodriguez fail to substantiate their claims, Marcos would withdraw his electoral protest against Robredo, while Rodriguez shall surrender his license as a lawyer to the SC.