Office of the Vice President September 6, 2017

Vice President Leni Robredo on Wednesday said she was elated by the latest resolution of the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), that upheld the integrity of the 2016 national and local elections.

In its August 29 resolution, the PET dismissed the first cause of action of defeated vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in his electoral protest, where he claimed that VP Leni’s proclamation should be declared null and void because the certificates of canvass generated by the Consolidation and Canvass System were not “authentic.”

The tribunal said that allowing this “would be an exercise in futility and would have no practical effect.” Moreover, it noted that the first cause of action “will not mean” that Marcos has won—a matter that may only be determined by a manual recount.

VP Leni said the resolution puts to rest questions over the integrity and validity of the last elections.

“Siyempre, masayang masaya kami kasi parang marami nang kinukuwento na hindi naman totoo. Iyong pag-dismiss noong first cause of action, parang kinonfirm lang iyong matagal na naming sinasabi… Na una, talagang malinis iyong eleksyon,” VP Leni told reporters at the Metro Laylayan visit in Pasay City.

“Hindi lang kami ang nagsabi noon, pero lahat ng election watchdogs, sinabi na malinis [iyong naging eleksyon], so hindi totoo na massive iyong cheating. Hindi totoo na malawakan iyong pandaraya na nangyari,” she added.

Earlier, lawyer Romulo Macalintal, VP Leni’s lead counsel in the case, expressed confidence that Marcos’ poll protest will eventually be dismissed, as it “has no basis.”

For the Vice President, PET’s recent resolution is an important leap toward victory in the said protest.

“Malaki ang aking pasasalamat sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan na walang pagod ang pagsuporta at pagtiwala. Hindi pa tapos ang laban, pero ito’y isang napakalaking hakbang tungo sa ating pagtagumpay,” she said.