Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, November 11)— Former Senator Bongbong Marcos has not been “treated unfairly” in the ongoing electoral protest case, the camp of Vice President Leni Robredo said on Wednesday in response to the defeated opponent’s latest move in court.
Robredo’s lawyers filed before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal a counter manifestation to Marcos’ motion to inhibit Supreme Court Justice Marvic Leonen from participating in the deliberations of the case.
In the 13-page document, Robredo’s camp argued that Marcos has been given “every opportunity” to prove his claims of electoral fraud, but has failed to present necessary evidence.
“Driven by ambition to occupy the second highest elected position, protestant Marcos would like the public and the Honorable Tribunal [to think] that he has not been treated fairly. It is this insistence which drives him to once more seek the inhibition of the Member-in-Charge of his Election Protest,” the document read.
“Marcos has not been treated unfairly,” it added. “He has been given every opportunity to prove his unfounded claims of electoral frauds. After more than four years, protestant Marcos has not been able to present a single evidence to prove that he should be declared the rightful winner in the 2016 elections.”
On Monday, Marcos filed a motion to remove Leonen from the poll protest against Robredo, citing the magistrate’s supposed bias in favor of the Vice President. He also accused Leonen of sitting on the case for months.
This was not the first time the former senator attempted to remove a justice from the case. In August 2018, Marcos also sought the inhibition of Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa over supposed political bias, but the motion was junked due to lack of merit.
Following Marcos’ logic, Duterte appointees should also inhibit
Meanwhile, Robredo’s lawyers also argued that most justices would have to inhibit from the protest case if Marcos’ logic on biases were to be followed.
“On several occasions, President Duterte admits to being indebted to the sister of protestant Marcos for being one of those who funded his campaign… Are the members of the High Tribunal who have been appointed by President Duterte now biased in favor of protestant Marcos?” they wrote.
“To follow the logic of protestant Marcos, the members of the Honorable Tribunal who were appointed by President Duterte should also inhibit from this election protest.”
READ: Duterte admits ‘utang na loob’ to Gov. Imee Marcos, 3 others
The legal counsels also questioned if Robredo’s camp should “impute the same bias” against Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta, who was the ponente of the resolution that allowed the burial of Marcos’ father, late President Ferdinand Marcos, at the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Marcos lodged the poll protest against Robredo on June 30, 2016, questioning the results of the May 2016 polls where Robredo defeated him by 263,473 votes.
Initial recount results — released in October 2019— in the pilot provinces of Iloilo, Negros Oriental, and Camarines Sur showed that Robredo’s lead grew by around 15,000 votes. Marcos had then asked the tribunal to reassess these results.
Robredo’s lawyers say Marcos was given opportunity to prove his claims of electoral fraud but fails to present evidence.
“He is desperate to show some semblance of credibility that he was cheated out of an office.” | @anjocalimario pic.twitter.com/Dmf4iy8619
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) November 11, 2020
