Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. yesterday expressed confidence that the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, would eventually proclaim him as the winner in the May 9, 2016 vice presidential election.
Marcos, son of the late Senate and Philippine President Ferdinand E. Marcos, issued the statement after filing an election protest contesting the victory of Vice President Leni G. Robredo Wednesday.
He stressed that unlike other past election protests, his petition would set a precedent. Robredo took her oath of office in Quezon City yesterday.
Marcos and his sister, Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee R. Marcos, attended the oath-taking ceremony of President Rodrigo Duterte, a family friend, in Malacañang yesterday.
He filed his 1,200-page election protest in the presence of than 1,000 supporters and even court employees who braved the rains on Padre Faura St. in front of the Supreme Court in Manila to witness the event.
With overwhelming evidence in his possession, Marcos said he is confident that his petition to have the proclamation of Robredo be nullified and that he would eventually be declared the winner with the case being resolved within a short period.
“I am confident that this is a precedent setting case (at) malakas ang loob ko. Malaki ang kumpiyansa ko na hindi tatagal katulad ng iba dahil iba ang approach namin at pangalawa ngayon lang tayo nakakita ng ganito karaming ebidensya dahil napaka-blatant talaga ng ginagawa na pandaraya sa halalan sa pagka Bise Presidente,” he said.
Marcos said his group has been getting numerous pieces of evidence from supporters and even people who claimed did not even vote for him but were appalled by how cheating was done in the elections.
“I would like to add something, hindi lang ang mga grupo na sumuporta sa akin ang gustong tumulong, meron kaming natatanggap na sulat na ang cover letter sinasabing hindi kita ibinoto pero alam kong dinaya ka kaya’t eto ang mga ebidensya na nakita ko na ipinapadala ko sa inyo, baka makatulong sa inyo. Kaya nakikita natin hindi na ito tungkol sa akin, ito ay tungkol na sa milyong milyong boto na winala at sa mga milyon milyong botante kung kaninong mga boses ay hindi narinig ng ating Comelec, ng ating sistema ng halalan,” he stressed.
He said this is the reason why the scheduled filing was postponed a few times because evidence kept on coming. Sabihin ko na lang na napakaraming ibat-ibang grupo kaya’t umabot tayo sa limit, panay pa ang postpone dahil nga ay lapit sila ng lapit at sila’y tumutulong sa pag-execute ng mga affidavit, pagpagawa ng ating testimonya, lahat ng witness statements, lahat ito ay ginawa tinutulungan tayo hindi lamang ang mga abogado kundi ibat ibang grupo,” Marcos said.
Marcos further said they expect more evidence to be submitted in the coming days as many have expressed their desire to help him after Duterte was proclaimed President.
He was also aghast over the seeming lack of concern or remorse of the people behind the cheating, saying he could not understand why they can keep a straight face despite the mounting evidence.
“At ang masakit pa sa lahat, alam nilang halata sila wala silang pakialam, hindi sila nahihiya sa kanilang ginawa.
Basta para sa kanila okey lang yun kahit alam ng tao na nandaya sila, hindi sila nagpapaliwanag. Hindi sila nagsasabi na problema sa kanila yun. Basta nakuha nila yung kanilang resulta kahit sa pandaraya kahit nakita ng lahat ng tao ay ipinagpapatuloy pa rin nila,” he said. (MARIO B. CASAYURAN)