Robredo camp: No evidence yet on lost votes

MANILA, Philippines — No such evidence that Vice President Leni Robredo has lost some 21,000 votes as poll recount hits its fourth week, her legal counsel said on Friday.

Romulo Macalintal, in a statement, said: “There is no such official finding made by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) and any such data or information is a mere product of political propaganda by Robredo’s detractors.”

Macalintal said that note on their camp’s motion for reconsideration that there was a decrease in her votes were mere “observations or objections.” Robredo's camp sought to appeal that the tribunal apply a 25-percent threshold, instead of 50 percent, in determining a valid vote.

Part of the said appeal noted that Robredo received 358 votes in Barangay Laganac, Balatan, Camarines Sur. Upon the application of the 50-percent threshold, a physical recount of the ballots yielded 346 votes for the vice president. Votes for Marcos did not change in the tally.

“[I]n simple terms, the votes for protestee Robredo was decreased by 12 votes while the votes for protestant Marcos was maintained,” the motion reads.

Robredo on Thursday called out several news agencies for reporting what she deemed as “fake news.” The news outlets, quoting an unverified source, said that Robredo’s lead over Marcos is down to some 242,000 from 263,473 in the 2016 national elections.

She said that the news item is a “propaganda meant to condition the minds of the public.” The vice president also hinted that the camp of former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. may be behind the “huge PR stunt.”

Robredo respects PET rules

Macalintal also countered the statement of Vic Rodriguez, Marcos’ spokesperson, that it would be better if they would observe silence and heed the tribunal’s order to refrain from making public comments on the recount.

He said: “Precisely, we said that the said news item was a malicious lie is because we do not believe that there is an ‘insider’ in the PET supplying such false and misleading data of revision to the media.”

READ: Marcos tells Robredo: Better observe silence during recount

The veteran elections lawyer stressed that the PET has yet to issue an official finding on the ongoing recount process.

Rodriguez earlier said: ““At this moment, it would be best if she just follow our lead in observing silence, shut her mouth for lack of sensible matter to say and accord utmost respect to members of the media and the Tribunal’s resolution on sub judice."

But Macalintal argued: “We maintain that there is no such insider and that it is a huge PR stunt trying to condition the minds of the people to besmirch the integrity of the real and official results of the ongoing revision process.”

The two camps were sternly warned by the tribunal against making public statements on the recount procedure. They were told to submit their explanation why they should not be cited in contempt by the court for giving updates on the recount process that started on April 2.