MANILA, Philippines — Hitting back at the claim of former Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos that he has
been robbed of the vice presidency, Vice President Leni Robredo stressed that she is not a thief.
Marcos, son of
ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr., had asked the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to void results in Maguindanao, Basilan and Lanao del Sur. He initially chose three pilot provinces — Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental — for the revision of appreciation of ballots.
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Speaking to reporters, Marcos said he feels frustrated as it has already been three years since he filed his electoral protest against Robredo.
"By conducting the cheating in the election, they robbed the proper vice president who won the election, myself, from the three years of service," Marcos said.
Robredo, meanwhile, pointed out that between her and Marcos, she is not the robber.
"Between the two of us, parang
hindi
yata ako
ang may
ugaling mag-rob. Between the two of us,
lahat
ng na-achieve
ko
pinagpaguran
ko. Wala
akong fake diplomas,
wala
akong anything. Hindi ako
naglalabas
ng fake news. Parang
dapat...
hindi
niya
kaya
iyon
sabihin
kasi between the two of us,
alam
ko
hindi ako
iyong
robber," Robredo said in a televised press conference.
(Between the two of us, I am not the one with a habit of robbing. Between the two of us, I worked hard for everything I ever achieved. I don't have fake
diplomas, I
don't have anything. I do not spread fake news. He should not be saying that because between the two of us, I know I am not a robber.)
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The Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has deferred the ruling on Marcos' electoral protest against Robredo.
The tribunal, however, ordered both the camps of Robredo and Marcos to comment on the issues surrounding the protest before it.
Robredo welcomed the declaration of the PET that it will release to the parties the report on the recount on the three pilot provinces.
The vice president said
she is relieved that the tribunal will make public the report but also frustrated that the case
is not yet dismissed.
"We stand by our position that there is no other acceptable decision but to dismiss the protest
in accordance with Rule 65 of the PET
in accordance with the results of the recount," Robredo said.