PET allows Robredo camp access to soft copies of ballots

December 1, 2017 - 11:42 AM
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Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Leni Robredo. (PhilStar file combo photos)

MANILA, Philippines — The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo said the Presidential Electoral Tribunal granted their petition to secure soft copies of ballots and other reports from decrypted secured digital cards from the three pilot provinces chosen by former senator Ferdinand Marcos for his electoral protest.

Robredo’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said the PT decision, dated November 7, “will provide us with additional blanket of security to the votes received by VP Leni as they decrypt the contents of the SD cards.”

Robredo’s urgent ex-parte motion, filed October 23, asked the PET to furnish her with data of the decrypted cards from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental.

Macalintal said the soft copies of the ballots would “help both parties protect their rights and interest in the election protest.”

In the November 7 resolution, the PET also “reiterated its previous ruling on August 29 that ‘no technical examination’ can be conducted from the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan and Maguindanao, the results of which Marcos wanted to be annulled, until the termination of the recount of ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental where Marcos should prove that he could make a ‘substantial recovery’ enough to overturn the results of the election for vice president,” the statement from Robedo’s camp added.