Robredo’s Camp Dares Marcos Camp to Show Proof of Massive Cheating

Election lawyers of vice presidential candidate and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo on Wednesday challenged the camp of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. to show proof that there was massive cheating in the vice presidential race.

Robredo’s election lawyers Atty. Romulo Macalintal and incoming Senator Leila De Lima, showed to reporters copies of all Certificates of Canvass (COCs) provided by the poll body. The COCs supposedly show that their principal defeated Marcos by more than 200,000 votes.

Macalintal dared the Marcos camp to show even just one document where there is a discrepancy or irregularity in the votes.

“If there is any error in so far as the election returns are concerned, we challenge Mr. Marcos to show us just one election return of the thousands of returns that were canvassed and transmitted to the transparency server,” he said.

“Magpakita ka lang ng isang return, just one election return which does not tally with any of the election returns canvassed or transmitted to the PPCRV. That’s the way to contest a particular election return. Hindi pwede iyung puro sasabihin na may dayaan o may vote-buying,” he added.

Earlier, the camp of the senator claimed that there were errors in the COCs transmitted to the unofficial and partial count of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, where Robredo tallied a hairline lead.

They also called for a full audit of the automated election system, saying the alteration of a script of the transparency server may have compromised the integrity of the PPCRV count.

Macalintal said they would be arguing that it was not for the NBOC to look into Marcos’ allegations of electoral fraud and appeal for systems audit.

“Iyung mga sinasabing alleged dayaan, system audit na hinihingi nila, we will be arguing there na hindi ito bahagi. It’s not part of the canvassing procedure,” Macalintal stressed.

He pointed out that the board’s function was merely ministerial, which is focused on the COCs received from Provincial Board of Canvassers.

All the documents they hold clearly show that Robredo has won the election, the lawyer said.

“Our confidence that Ms. Leni Robredo had really won the election is because of the fact that we have practically all the certificates of canvass and practically all the election returns. In so far as the transmission, in so far as the preparation of these returns, we are confident that these documents will be sustained,” he said. (PNA) RMA/SFM