PET asked to decide accordingly on Marcos poll protest vs Robredo

A coalition of various cause-oriented groups called on the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), Thursday to act accordingly on the election protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

Opposition coalition Tindig Pilipinas said the SC justices should work as “true jurists who would rather let justice be done even if it means defying the wishes of the powers.”

“How long will the Supreme Court remain insensitive to the people’s decision that Leni Robredo was the legitimately elected Vice President?” it asked.

The group asserted the electoral protest filed by former Sen. Bongbong Marcos Jr. against Robredo should have already been dismissed following the results of the initial ballot recount that upheld her victory in 2016 vice presidential race.

Robredo increased her lead by 15,093 votes over Marcos in the SC’s recount in Camarines Sur, Iloilo, and Negros Oriental -- the three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos in his case.

“This charade should have ended since the SC justices know how to count or is that too much to assume? And yet, it has granted Mr. Marcos’ third attempt to count the ballots and this time in Mindanao,” Tindig Pilipinas said in a Facebook post.

”This is not justice. This is insanity -- doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for a different result,” it added.

The group made the call after PET recently ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to comment within 20 days on pending issues involving Marcos’ third cause of action on the annulment of elections in Lanao del Sur, Basilan, and Maguindanao.

The PET also asked the poll body, as well as the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), to comment on whether the SC has the power to declare the annulment of elections without special elections; a failure of elections, and order the conduct of special elections.