Bongbong Marcos’ camp accused VP Leni Robredo’s camp of changing the rules in the recount, the latter stated that the accusation is a lie.
Vice President Leni Robredo’s camp accused the camp of former Senator Bongbong Marcos of lying, for saying that they are changing the rules in the recount of votes from the 2016 elections.
The two politicians were vying for the second highest political position in the Philippines two years ago.
According to the spokesman and legal counsel of the elected Vice President, Atty. Barry Gutierrez, the 25% shading threshold that they are asking has a basis.
Robredo’s camp stressed out that it was stated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) last elections.
“Sigurado si VP Leni sa kaniyang pagkapanalo, dahil alam niya nakuha niya ito sa malinis na paraan,” the VP’s legal counsel stated.
Gutierrez added that the 25% threshold was already confirmed to the public through the documents from the Comelec.
This rule should be followed during the recount so that those votes that have been counted will not be set aside, Robredo’s legal counsel added.
Commissioner Luie Guia wrote in a memorandum to Atty. Felipa Anama, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal clerk, it was stated that the 25% threshold was used during the 2016 elections.
According to Guia, the intention of this resolution is to make sure that the votes of Filipinos will be counted for the candidate they want even though the oval in the ballot was not completely shaded.
This resolution was testified by the whole Comelec en banc and was confirmed by Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez last April 17, 2018. From 50% threshold in 2010, the resolution lowered it to 25%.
Former Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes warns against the use of other threshold for the recount of votes for Leni Robredo and Bongbong Marcos for the position of Vice President.
He iterated that the 25% threshold should be followed because it is the basis in electoral protest filed in Senate Electoral Tribunal and House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal.
Brillantes pointed out that it is not fair to use a higher threshold in recount because this is same threshold used during last election, based on the article.