Bongbong calls out PET

Former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday called on the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) to allow him to present evidence allegedly showing anomalies and fraud during the vice-presidential race last year.

“The PET should prioritize this as, one way or another, whether I win or lose, the nation should know the truth,” he said.

Marcos said he could show proof of weaknesses in the electoral system.

While he expressed dismay on what he described as delaying tactics by the PET in the handling of his electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo, he was appalled to learn that electronic voting firm Smartmatic Philippines Inc. joined a bidding for the 2019 elections.

“If you see what we’ve found out in our probe of the 2010, 2013 and 2016 elections you will agree with me that everyone in Smartmatic should be jailed; now they want to come back,” he said in a news conference.

2013 ballots found in recount

Meanwhile, the camp of former Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino yesterday claimed they found that most of 10 ballot boxes from Quezon that were used during the 2016 senatorial elections contained ballots used during the 2013 polls.

The discovery was made during the Senate Electoral Tribunal’s vote recount of 635 ballot boxes in connection with his election protest against detained Sen. Leila de Lima.

Tolentino’s lawyer, Sara Mawis, said during the initial recount, ballot boxes from Calbayog, Samar also contained 2013 election ballots.

Tolentino placed 13th during the 2016 senatorial elections, following 12th placer De Lima.