Robredo camp seeks probe into 'leaked' audit logs from Camarines Sur

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo has asked the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to look into a lawyer’s possession of audit logs from Camarines Sur, data that concerns the ongoing electoral recount.

Robredo’s camp, through her lawyer Romulo Macalintal, filed on Tuesday a manifestation with grave concern asking for immediate investigation of “leaked data from the province of Camarines Sur."

Macalintal noted that lawyer Glenn Chong attended the Senate Committee Electoral Reforms’ as a resource person on July 31. Chong presented the audit logs of Municipality of Ragay, Camarines Sur during the Senate hearing, and he has also posted such on his Facebook page, Macalintal said.

The vice president’s camp stressed that the audit logs are information exclusive to parties of the case, as Camarines Sur is one of the pilot provinces identified by former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos in his poll protest.

Chong, during the Senate hearing, claimed that he obtained his data from the Senate Electoral Tribunal over the case filed by Francis Tolentino.

But Macalintal refuted this, saying that Ragay, Camarines Sur was not part of Tolentino’s case.

Chong, however, has repeatedly denied being one of Marcos’ representatives before the Senate committee.

“If Atty. Chong were to be believed that he never represented protestant Marcos, where did he get the data from the Municipality of Ragay, Camarines Sur which he presented to the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms?” Macalintal raised.

Macalintal also said that Chong “has been discussing the merits of the case not only on his facebook page but in the Senate Committee on Electoral Reforms hearing.”

“Inevitably, without mentioning names, Atty. Chong has delved into the merits of this case and attempted to not only sway public opinion but also pre-empt any Resoution of the Honorable Tribunal,” the manifestation read.

“Given the data and documents in the possession of Atty. Chong who claims that he is not a lawyer of, representative or in any way connected to protestant Marcos, there is a need for the conduct of an investigation,” Macalintal added. — Kristine Joy Patag