LOSING vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has asked the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, for more time to submit a memorandum in his election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.
In an omnibus motion dated October 23, Marcos, through lawyer George Garcia, asked for a deferment of the deadline until he or his representatives are able to photocopy a report on the revision and appreciation of ballots in the three pilot provinces of Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental.
The results of the recount of votes in the three pilot provinces showed Robredo widening her lead over Marcos to 278,566 from 263,473 votes.
“Based on the final tally after revision and appreciation of the votes in the pilot provinces, protestee Robredo maintained, as in fact, she increased her lead with 14,436, 337 votes over protestant Marcos who obtained 14, 157,771 votes,” the PET has said.
It will be recalled that the PET issued a resolution on October 15 directing Marcos and Robredo to submit a memorandum within 20 working days, starting from receipt of a copy of the resolution containing their comments on the revision and appreciation of the ballots from the three provinces as well as their position on Marcos’ third cause of action in his election protest.
Marcos’ third cause of action sought the nullification of results of the 2016 election in Lanao del Norte, Basilan, and Maguindanao on the ground of terrorism, intimidation, and harassment of voters as well as pre-shading of ballots in all of the 2,756 protested clustered precincts in the areas.
“Considering that the relevant reports on the revision and appreciation of votes relating to the three pilot protested provinces consist of voluminous documents, protestant Marcos is constrained to request this Honorable Tribunal to allow him to photocopy the said reports to comply with the directive of this Honorable Tribunal to file his comment thereon,” Marcos said.
“Considering that the photocopying of the reports has yet to commence, protestant Marcos is likewise constrained to move for the deferment of the deadline to submit his comments on the said reports on the revision and appreciation of votes until the requested photocopying of the document reports is granted and completed,” he added.
Marcos also submitted to the PET the names of 15 of his representatives for the requested photocopying of the said documents.
He also asked the PET to allow him to deduct from his cash deposit all the administrative expenses that will be incurred relative to his request to photocopy the reports.