The Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), composed of all the 15 justices of the Supreme Court (SC), has ordered Vice President Ma. Leonor Robredo to answer the election protest filed against her by former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
In a resolution released yesterday based on the PET’s deliberation last July 12, the tribunal said Vice President Robredo should answer the protest within 10 days from receipt of the summons.
At the same time, the PET issued a precautionary order that was pleaded in the protest filed by Marcos.
The tribunal directed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to:
“Preserve and safeguard the integrity of all the ballot boxes and their contents, including the ballots, voter’s receipts and election returns; the lists of voters, particularly the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List (EDVCL), and voters registration records (VRRs), and the book of voters; the audit logs, transmission logs, and all log files; and all other documents or paraphernalia used in the May 2016 elections for the position of Vice-President of the Republic of the Philippines, including the automated election equipment and records such as the Vote Counting Machines (VCM), Consolidation and Canvass System (CCs) units, Secure Digital (SD) cards (main and back up), and the other data storage devices in all of the ninety-two thousand five hundred nine (92,509) clustered precincts used in the May 2016 elections, effective immediately and continuing until further orders from this Tribunal.”
(REY PANALIGAN)