Robredo: Marcos must pay for maintenance of 2016 poll machines

Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday filed an omnibus motion before the Supreme Court sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) stating that former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos should pay P2.08 billion for the maintenance of vote counting machines (VCMs).

Robredo's lawyers, Romulo P. Macalintal and Maria Bernadette Sardillo, said Marcos must shoulder any amount that the Commissions on Elections (Comelec) may be required to pay on account of his election protest.

"Protestee Robredo seeks clar- ification on who will be liable for the P2,078,304,255.76, representing the cost of the VCMs leased and used during the May 9, 2016 national and local elections," read the nine-page manifestation file before in SC.

”Clarifying whether protestant Marcos will be held liable for the monthly expense incurred by the Commission on Elections in its Sta. Rosa, Laguna Warehouse. Directing the Commission on Elections to clarify whether protestant Marcos on account of this Election Protest will be held liable for the P2,078,304,255.76 under the Automated Election System (AES) Contracts,” it added.

As early as November 2016, the PET directed Comelec to itemize the costs it may be required to pay under its automated election contracts.

Comelec, through the Office of the Solicitor General, replied that the costs could reach P2.08 billion. This is because of the non-turnover of 97,365 voting counting machines (VCMs) on or before December 1, 2016.

It should be recalled that Marcos asked for the annulment of elections and revision of votes in 39,221 clustered precincts but also maintained that the 2016 national and local elections were null and void.

In August and September 2016, Marcos opposed the closure and stripping activities on the VCMs scheduled by Comelec.