Did the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) already set a recount for the Vice Presidential votes this May 27?
An article from socialmediaph.info did make the claim and the story made it to the Facebook fan page for former Senator Bongbong Marcos, “BongBong Marcos United.” The post already gained over 200 shares.
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But the source of the story is actually the noted fake news site Okd2.com.
Yeah, their stories are totally awesome… if you’re looking for fictional ones.
According to Okd2.com, PET has ordered Comelec to secure the ballot boxes from 57 cities and municipalities, areas where fraud was allegedly committed, as per Marcos’ electoral protest. PET’s decision for a manual recount on May 27 was revealed by a certain Ernesto de Alva, described as an election lawyer and a member of Marcos’ legal counsel, led by former Comelec Commissioner Sixto Brillantes. The recount is estimated to be done by June 30.
Okd2.com further claimed that Comelec has already set aside P128 million for manpower, logistics, equipment, and other expenses for the recount.
One of Robredo’s lawyers, Atty. Marissa Tahanglangit, allegedly said that they are “saddened” by this sudden decision from PET.
Marcos’ camp also accused Robredo’s camp of further delaying the process.
Marcos’ lawyer, de Alva, was quoted saying, “Senator Marcos feels vindicated. We are confident that the result will be far different from what the previous count released. This time will be in our favor. People already knew who the real winner is and we cannot take away the truth from the people.”
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PET’s recount decision is already said to be final, Okd2.com noted.
However, these claims are lies, as with the many other claims before it, courtesy of Okd2.com writers’ imagination.
First, we couldn’t not find any credible reports confirming their claim that PET has indeed scheduled a VP vote recount on May 27.
Second, Marcos is still urging PET to order the collection, retrieval, transport and delivery of ballot boxes from 36,465 clustered precincts during the May 2016 elections and to continue with the preliminary conference, aside from calling for a manual recount, judicial revision, technical examination, and forensic investigation. This means that even Marcos’ camp is still waiting for PET’s decision for a recount, refuting Okd2.com’s claim that a recount date has been set.
Third, Robredo’s camp has shot back at Marcos’ camp for accusing them of delaying the electoral protest process. Robredo’s lawyer, Romulo Macalintal, said that Marcos’ “very weak and frivolous case” is the reason of the delay.
“Detailed specification means that Marcos should specifically allege in his protest who, what, where or when these acts were committed. If Marcos only filed a strong and meritorious election protest with full compliance with the rules on the substance or evidence to be alleged in the complaint, we would not have any ground to question his apparent haphazardly prepared election protest,” Macalintal said.
“Marcos is the very root or cause why his complaint is still at the preliminary stage. Let it be of record that it is not a matter of a delayed action on Marcos’ election protest but mainly a matter of a very weak and frivolous case he presented before the PET,” he added.
Macalintal also said that Marcos’ accusation about the delay in the protest is similar to questioning the PET’s competence, adding that even VP Robredo ordered her legal team to “comply with all its (PET’s) rules” to show their respect to the PET members.
Fourth, unlike Marcos’ claim, Robredo said that it is in her interest for the protest to be resolved immediately to stop questions about her vice presidency.
“For me, it would be good (if the Presidential Election Tribunal) will start the recount. Because until the issue is resolved, it would only give Marcos’ supporters the right to claim that he’s the real vice president,” Robredo said in an interview with dzMM on March 28.
“I think it is bad logic to think that I’m the one who doesn’t want the recount to happen,” she said.
Robredo said that she would agree to a vote recount, but Marcos should prove his claims of fraud first.
“It is wrong to claim that I don’t want a recount. I am sure of my victory. I am no cheat, and it will be better for me if this protest will be resolved sooner,” Robredo said in the same radio interview.
“We are not delaying the recount. Our point is, where is your evidence [of poll fraud]? You can’t present evidence on a piecemeal basis because you claim that you have proof. Where is your proof, then?” she added.
“It is wrong to claim that I don’t want a recount. I am sure of my victory. I am no cheat, and it will be better for me if this protest will be resolved sooner,” Robredo said in a dzMM interview.
“We are not delaying the recount. Our point is, where is your evidence [of poll fraud]? You can’t present evidence on a piecemeal basis because you claim that you have proof. Where is your proof, then?” Robredo added.
Fifth, we could not find other reports about the VP electoral protest naming Attys. Ernesto de Alva and Marissa Tahanglangit as Marcos’ or Robredo’s lawyers, respectively. Okd2.com has pulled off its old trick of inventing people’s names again to make their story look genuine.
Sixth, the photo used by socialmediaph.info is actually a file photo used by UNTV News & Rescue in its August 2016 report, “COMELEC denies alleged violation of PET’s precautionary protection order.”
In November 2016, both Marcos’ and Robredo’s camps also refuted a vote recount hoax, which claimed that the recount would start before November 2016 ends and that a new VP would be proclaimed by January 2017.
Unlike Okd2.com’s claim, PET has not scheduled a VP vote recount this May 27. It’s just another addition to the fake news site’s growing list of hoaxes.
Sources: ( philstar.com , manilatimes.net , news.abs-cbn.com , untvweb.com )
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