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The Supreme Court, assembled as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), threatened to impose severe sanctions against the camps of Vice President Leni Robredo and lose vice president candidate and former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. for continuously violating his gag order.
The warning was issued during the magistrates ‘banc session yesterday after Marcos’ camp sought the inhibition of associate judge Marvic Leonen for his alleged delaying tactics and prejudice against the Marcoses.
Leonen has been assigned as the person in charge of the electoral protest presented by Marcos against Robredo.
After the presentation of the motion, Marcos together with his lawyer Vic Rodríguez held a virtual press conference where the former senator accused Leonen of being biased and hostile towards him and his family based on his previous pronouncements in historical cases involving the Marcos family.
Marcos also hinted that Leonen was delaying the resolution of his electoral protest until it becomes moot and academic with the presentation of candidacies for the 2022 elections in October of next year.
He noted that it took Leonen 11 months to issue his first warrant since he took over the case in October 2019.
The Robredo camp immediately attacked the Marcos camp for seeking exclusion from Leonen from the cases, telling the former senator to “stop acting like a spoiled brat who cries when he doesn’t get his candy.”
His attorney Emil Marañón also appeared on CNN Philippines promising to challenge the Attorney General’s Office (OSG) filing a separate plea before the SC supporting Marcos’s call for Leonen’s restraint and the drawing of the case to another judge.
“We will present the necessary arguments to raise our objections regarding number one, the participation of the Attorney General. Second, the real merit of what the Attorney General has presented. For us, this is a very abnormal circumstance. You have to question it, ”said Marañón.
Marañón observed the similarity of the writing of Calida and Marcos, which indicates a possible collusion between the two.
SC spokesman Brian Keith Hosaka said PET has yet to act on the motions filed by OSG and Marcos’ camp.
Instead, the PET warned the parties again for their failure to comply with its resolutions that oblige them to strictly observe the sub judice rule.
“In view of the recent appearances and statements of the parties, their lawyers and their agents in various media, including print, television and social media, the Presidential Electoral Tribunal reiterates its Resolutions of February 13, 2018 and March 20 of 2018 directing the parties to strictly observe the sub judice rule, ”said the PET.
“These are not the right places to litigate your case. The parties, their lawyers and their agents are strongly advised that any other violation of this order will be dealt with more severely, ”he added.
The PET noted that this is not the first time it has warned parties to observe the sub judice rule.
He noted that on September 10, 2019, the Court issued a similar reminder after the counting and review of ballots in the three test provinces of Iloilo, Negros Orienta and Camarines Sur involving 5,415 electoral districts was concluded and completed.
In June 2018, the PET ordered both sides to pay a fine of 50,000 pesos each for violating the gag order issued last February in relation to the ongoing vote count for the 2016 vice presidential race.
Prior to this, the PET issued a resolution issued on April 10, 2018 ordering Marcos and Robredo to present cause and explain why they should not be cited in contempt for violating the resolutions of February 13, 2018 and March 20, 2018 issued by the court. .
The PET noted that despite the directives, various news reports have shown that the parties, their attorneys and / or representatives, have continued to disclose sensitive information about the review process to the public, in clear violation of the aforementioned resolutions.
