MANILA – Vice President Leni Robredo is hoping that newly-appointed Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Diosdado Peralta will protect the High Court’s integrity with a verdict on the electoral protest against her expected to come out soon.
In her radio show “Biserbisyong Leni” on Sunday, Robredo is keeping her faith that Peralta will do what is right amid fears that he could side with her rival, former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.
“The fact na Chief Justice siya ngayon, inaasahan natin na ang ipaglalaban niya, hindi naman iyong personal niyang mga preferences, pero ang ipaglalaban niya iyong integrity ng institution,” Robredo said.
According to Robredo, she fears that Peralta could sway the SC, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribuna (PET), to rule in Marcos’ favor in the poll protest based on his voting record as SC associate justice.
“Alam niya naman na iyong lahat na mata, nagaabang. So tingin ko, hindi naman niya isusugal iyong buong institusyon dahil sa kaniyang personal preferences,” she added.
Peralta penned the decision allowing the hero’s burial for Marcos’ father, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos. He has also ruled in favor of martial law in Mindanao and former Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno’s ouster through a “quo warranto” petition.
The PET said that Robredo’s lead in the three provinces protested by Marcos – Negros Oriental, Iloilo and Camarines Sur – increased by some 15,000 votes.
After deducting votes from sustained objections and adding ones earned due to admitted claims, the PET found that Robredo got 1,510,178 votes from the pilot provinces as opposed to Marcos’ 204,512.
These figures are higher than the votes Robredo and Marcos got as reflected in the provincial certificates of canvass: 1,493,517 for Robredo and 202,136 for Marcos./PN
