From defending the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is now attacking it.
The PET is composed of justices of the Supreme Court.
STATEMENT
In a Jan. 10 media forum, Marcos accused Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa of being “unfair and unjust”:
“I have come to be concerned because mukhang hindi fair ang treatment sa akin sa PET at nakikita natin (PET’s treatment of me is not fair, and we see that) there has been, have been a disturbing series of decisions made by Justice Caguioa that are clearly unfair and unjust.”
Source: Facebook page of Bongbong Marcos, Jan. 10, 2018, watch from 1:38 to 2:01
News reports claimed that Marcos’ protest case was raffled off to Caguioa.
Marcos said the PET rushed him during holy week last year to pay P36 million as first tranche to fund the poll recount, while Robredo was given an extension. Robredo was also provided soft copies of the decrypted ballot images for free, while he paid P7 million for the same images that he has yet to receive, he added.
The PET has denied Marcos’ request for official copies of the decrypted ballot images.
FLIP-FLOP
In 2016, Marcos himself defended the PET.
Reacting to Robredo, who spoke of a “plot to steal the vice presidency” when she resigned as housing secretary, Marcos said “we must measure our words” when speaking of the court:
“I said in comment, that this is basically an affront to the Supreme Court, which as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has the sole authority to adjudicate the election protest concerning the vice presidential contest of May of this year. The High Court will not countenance any attempt to manipulate the hearing of the protest. However, we can see that clearly there are attempts to do just that. I submit that whoever we are, we must measure our words when we speak of our Supreme Court.”
Source: bongbongmarcos.com, Transcript of Speech of Senator Bongbong Marcos during the PHILCONSA Event: We cannot escape history, Dec. 8, 2016
In at least three instances since the protest case was filed, Marcos’ camp welcomed the PET’s resolutions when they favored him:
- It was “pleased” that the PET denied Robredo’s motion to dismiss the case;
- It was “glad” when the court again denied Robredo’s motion for reconsideration;
- It “lauded” the court’s resolution saying the Commission on Elections, not Marcos, should pay expenses for the poll case.
Sources:
GMA News Online, PET keeping official copies of decrypted ballot images, other docs in VP poll protest, Jan. 18, 2018
The Manila Times, Marcos to get ballot copies in VP recount, Jan. 18, 2018
Inquirer.net, PET denies Bongbong’s request for original documents in VP poll protest, Jan. 18, 2018
bongbongmarcos.com, BBM camp lauds PET resolution rejecting COMELEC’s move to pass on ballot storage fees to Marcos, Oct. 30, 2017
bongbongmarcos.com, PET sustains BBM Election Protest, Sept. 5, 2017
bongbongmarcos.com, PET affirms BBM’s election protest, Feb. 16, 2017
Manila Standard, Robredo, Bautista deny ‘secret meeting’, July 15, 2016
Philstar.com, Bongbong poll protest raffled off to Noy counsel, July 5, 2016
ABS-CBN News, Aquino classmate gets Marcos poll protest: sources, July 4, 2016
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative.)
