Supporters of Vice President Leni Robredo have lost their petition before the Supreme Court seeking to pay the balance of her counter-protest fee in relation to an election protest case filed by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
The high court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, ruled against the petition on Nov. 7, 2017, affirming its July 11 decision rejecting Robredo’s supporters petition, on the grounds that the proponents of the Piso Para Kay Leni movement has no legal interest in the matter subject of the protest.
Robredo, whose victory in the May 2016 election is being challenged by Marcos Jr. on fraud allegations, has yet to pay the P7.439 million out of the P15.4 million required of her by the PET.
She had asked for more time to raise the amount which the tribunal granted.
The Piso Para Kay Leni movement then petitioned the PET for them to pay the balance, raising P7,520,679.04 from some 25,000 supporters over the past few months.
Following the PET’s decision, the group said it wanted to turnover the fund to Angat Buhay priority projects, the flagship anti-poverty program of the Office of the Vice President .
The group met with Robredo at her office in Quezon City on Wednesday where they planned how to properly turn over what they collected from their initiative.
“The money given by thousands of VP Leni supporters will now promote the welfare of our poor countrymen as this was the alternative plan from the onset in the event that our petition would not be granted by PET,” said Museo Pambata founder Cristina Lim-Yuson, one of the founders of the movement.
The group said the OVP will identify a high-impact project or two that will benefit from the fund drive.
Angat Buhay head Georgina Hernandez welcomed the decision of the proponents to donate the money collected by the group that was intended to partially fund Leni’s counter-protest against Marcos.
“It will go a long way in helping poor communities as part of VP Leni’s advocacy to uplift the lives of Filipinos living in the fringes of society,” she said.
The movement composed of 25,000 supporters of Robredo expressed their desire to donate the P7,520,679.04 after the Presidential Electoral Tribunal denied a motion for reconsideration to accept their contribution.
According to Hernandez, the Office of the Vice President shall identify a high-impact project or two to benefit from the P7.4-million budget.
The recommendation will be ready by January, she said.