VP poll protest: Retrieval of Iloilo ballots starts today

MANILA, Philippines — The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), will start today the retrieval of ballots from Iloilo, one of the areas covered by the electoral protest filed by former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against Vice President Leni Robredo.

The PET will retrieve the ballot boxes from 2,748 clustered precincts in 44 municipalities and cities in Iloilo.

The retrieval process will end on May 25.

Robredo’s lawyers said they would observe the retrieval of the ballot boxes.

Iloilo is the second province chosen by Marcos for his electoral protest. The other areas are Camarines Sur, Robredo’s home province, and Negros Oriental.

The PET is conducting a manual recount of votes from Camarines Sur.

Robredo garnered 573,829 votes while Marcos got 94,411 votes in the province of Iloilo in the vice presidential race.

In Iloilo City, Robredo got 137,662 votes. Marcos obtained 33,778.

Robredo defeated Marcos by a slim margin of 263,473 votes.