Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo delivers her acceptance message to be the official LP Vice Presidential Candidate for the 2016 National Elections during the “Daang Matuwid: To Be Continued…” of the ruling Liberal Party (LP) at the Corazon C. Aquino Kalayaan Hall of the Club Filipino in San Juan City on Monday (October 05). (MNS photo)
MANILA (Mabuhay) – Amid the claim of Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. that he will win the vice presidential race, leading VP contender and Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo on Wednesday expressed fears of a repeat of the alleged cheating in the 1986 snap elections.
In an interview with reporters in Naga City, Robredo spoke against Marcos’ supposed “mind-conditioning” technique, saying she wonders why the Marcos camp is claiming a lead of more than 100,000 votes based on their internal tally of certificates of canvass (COCs).
“Sa akin lang ano, sana wala silang binabalak na pandaraya na gagawin sa canvassing. Kasi yung winoworry ko ngayon, klaro naman yung numero pero parang mina-mind condition nila,” Robredo said.
“Kasi alam naman natin na may history na ganun. Hindi natin makakalimutan yung nangyari nung 1986 na siguro kung hindi nag walk out yung mga tabulators baka nadaya nga tayo,” she added.
Robredo was referring to the so-called “Comelec 35” or 35 computer programmers and technicians who walked out during the tabulation of the snap elections between Marcos’ father, the late President Ferdinand Marcos, and the late President Corazon Aquino.
The protest was one of the events that triggered the 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution that ousted the late strongman and installed Aquino as president.
The camp of Robredo, citing data from the transparency server of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) as of 2 p.m. Tuesday, said the congresswoman is still leading with 14,316,558 votes, or 355,716 votes ahead of Marcos’ 13,960,842 votes.
Congress will resume session on May 23 and will convene as the National Board of Canvassers on May 25. The NBOC is mandated to proclaim the new president and vice president.
Robredo, a candidate of the ruling Liberal Party, also said she is open to a system audit sought by the Marcos camp to if only to quash speculations of election fraud.
“Sang ayon ako na may system audit para maalis yung lahat ng duda tungkol sa integridad ng proseso ng eleksyon,” Robredo said.
“‘Yung hindi okay sa akin yung nagpaparatang na nandaya na wala namang basehan,” she added. (MNS)