Leni camp: VP poll results on same COC as those for president

MANILA, Philippines — A justice of the Supreme Court told former Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. he cannot “surgically remove” the results of the vice-presidential vote from the rest of the polls, a lawyer for Vice President Leni Robredo said, as she was allowed by the magistrates to defer payment of the remaining amount needed in her separate electoral protest.

Bernadette Sardillo, a lawyer for Robredo, said that during the preliminary conference brief, Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen asked Marcos and his lawyers if they would accept the results of their casting doubt on the integrity of last year's elections.

Robredo will also counter any move to separate the results of the vice-presidential race from the rest of the 2016 elections.

If Marcos doubts Robredo's victory, he should also question the victory of President Rodrigo Duterte as the results for the two positions are on the same certificate of canvass.

“Kasi kung matatandaan ninyo noong canvassing sa Kongreso, iisa lang ang certificate of canvass for president and vice president. So kung sasabihin mong hindi totoo at hindi mapagkakatiwalaan ang certificate of canvass, di ibig sabihin pati po ang presidente, dinaya at mababakante ang posisyon,” Sardillo said.

Sardillo said that the justice asked this question as he emphasized that Marcos could not just separate the results of the vice-presidential election from the results in other positions from president down to city and municipal councilors.

Robredo’s lawyer said that Marcos’ lawyers said that they were ready to accept the result.

“Iyong resulta ng pagkuwestyon niya ng automated election system kasi ang sinasabi nga noong isang mahistrado, hindi mo puwedeng i-surgically remove or ihiwalay ang resulta sa bise presidente doon sa naging resulta sa ibang posisyon, mula presidenta hanggang sa konsehal,” Sardillo said.

Robredo given extension to pay counter-protest fee

Sardillo also told reporters that the magistrates of the court had given Robredo additional time to pay the remaining P7 million needed for her counter-protest to proceed.

Earlier, the court ordered Robredo to pay P15 million for the 31,278 precincts included in her counter-protest against Marcos. Robredo paid an initial P8 million on May 2, and she is supposed to pay the remaining amount on Friday.

Robredo is having difficulties to raise the money needed for her protest, in contrast to the ease Marcos was able to pay the more exorbitant money needed from him.

Marcos was required to pay P66 million for the 132,446 precincts he was questioning. He paid P36.023 million on April 17, and the remaining P30.2 million early Tuesday.

Marcos is the son of the late Philippine dictator accused of committing massive human rights violations and amassing billions of illegally-obtained wealth.

The Marcos family has vigorously fought legal efforts to recover the wealth with their battery of lawyers.

Marcos' lawyers also filed on Tuesday another motion moving for a technical examination and the retrieval of ballot boxes, Sardillo said.

She said that the court had not yet granted the request as Robredo’s camp was given an opportunity to answer the motion.