Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 19) — The fight may not be over for losing vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
CNN Philippines’ Anjo Alimario contributed to this report.
Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta told reporters on Friday that Marcos can still file a motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court’s decision to junk his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.
“Of course, of course, he can always do that, that’s one of his remedies,” Peralta said in an interview at the Tarlac State University, where he was conferred a Doctor of Laws, Honoris Causa degree.
The Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, unanimously junked Marcos’ case against Robredo on Tuesday. The former senator and son of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos filed the protest in 2016 as he alleged fraud in the elections that resulted in Robredo winning by 263,473 votes.
In October 2019, the tribunal found Robredo’s lead even grew by around 15,000 votes after a recount of the ballots from 5,415 clustered precincts in Iloilo, Negros Oriental, and Robredo’s hometown Camarines Sur. The pilot areas for the recount were chosen by the Marcos camp.
While the tribunal has yet to release its decision, a source in the high court said having failed in the pilot provinces, Marcos cannot seek his third cause of action, which is to annul election results in Lanao Del Sur, Maguindanao, and Basilan.
Peralta said the justices who want to explain their votes have more than a week to do so. “The deliberation is confidential, but I can only say that as usual there was deliberation, there were debates, there were several things raised,” the Chief Justice said.
Meanwhile, Peralta refused to speculate on what will happen if Marcos runs in the May 2022 national elections.
