THE Supreme Court has ordered the Commission on Elections to secure all the documents and devices pertinent to the election protest that former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has filed against his rival Leni Robredo, the declared winner in the vice presidential race this year.
In a resolution dated July 12 but was released only on Tuesday, the high court, acting as a Presidential Electoral Tribunal, granted Marcos’ request in his election protest that was filed on June 29, and which had asked for the issuance of a precautionary order.
The PET also issued a summons directing Robredo to answer Marcos’ election protest within 10 days.
“The Tribunal resolves to issue summons and grant the prayer of the protestant for a precautionary protection order pursuant to Rule 36 of the 2010 Rules of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal,” the tribunal said in its resolution. “The Tribunal’s resolution requiring the issuance of summons on the protestee, Maria Leonor Robredo with a copy of the protest, requires her to file an answer to the protest within 10 days from receipt of the summons.”
The order of the electoral tribunal came as Marcos on Tuesday also filed a motion asking the PET to act on his prayer for a precautionary order.
He said the issuance of a precautionary order was mandated under Rule 36 of the PET Rules.
He said that provision allows the tribunal to take immediate measures to safeguard the integrity of all the ballot boxes and their contents and other documents related to the election protest.
Marcos lamented that the PET had yet to take such precautionary steps since he filed his election protest on June 29.
The PET’s precautionary order requires the Comelec to “preserve Comelec and safeguard” all the ballot boxes and their contents.
Marcos is seeking the nullification of the proclamation of Robredo as duly elected vice president, claiming that was the result of electoral fraud committed to ensure her victory.
In particular, Marcos is contesting the election results in 39,221 clustered precincts in 25 provinces and five highly urbanized cities all over the country.
He claims that through a series of electoral fraud, anomalies and irregularities, the people behind the whole operation made sure that Robredo would win and that Marcos’ votes would be reduced.