Robredo’s poll lawyer: Marcos’ election protest just a media stunt

MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Leni Robredo’s election lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, on Tuesday hit former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s camp anew for skipping the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) to prove the former vice presidential candidate’s claims of fraud through vote counting machines (VCMs).

Macalintal said Marcos’ poll protest was just a mere media stunt, saying that if Marcos and his spokesperson Vice Rodriguez are “sure and confident on their accusation, they should be bold enough to sign the MOA, which is self-explanatory.”

“The absence today of former Senator Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos and his spokesperson Atty. Vic Rodriguez is a clear admission and proof that their claimed 'massive electoral fraud' on 13 Secure Digital (SD) cards retrieved from unused Vote Counting Machines that allegedly favored Vice-President Leni Robredo and caused the defeat of Marcos was baseless, frivolous, self-serving and were merely intended as media stunt,” Macalintal said in a released statement.

Macalintal reiterated that if Marcos’ could prove his claims, he would withdraw as Robredo’s lawyer and even dared to surrender his license as a lawyer to the Supreme Court.

However, if proven wrong, Macalintal said Marcos and Rodriguez should withdraw the election protest against Robredo immediately. He also challenged Rodriguez to surrender his license as a lawyer to the high court.

“This is the best way to prove who is telling the truth on these 13 SD cards to prevent the proliferation of false, misleading and self-serving claim which are clearly aimed to condition the minds of the justices of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal and the electorate as to the true merits of said election protest,” Macalintal said.

The poll lawyer added that Marcos' asking of the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to set his protest for “preliminary conference to start the presentation of witnesses and evidence of the parties,” is another clear admission that the 13 SD cards are not evidence of his claimed electoral fraud. Marcos' camp filed the motion before the SC on January 26. 

Macalintal challenged Marcos to first prove the electoral fraud from the 13 SD cards before the PET could set his case for preliminary conference and presentation of witnesses and evidence. — Rosette Adel