VP camp accepts challenge to withdraw all pending motions at PET

The camp of Vice President Leni Robredo on Tuesday accepted the challenge of former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his lawyer to withdraw all their pending motions before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.

Robredo’s legal counsel, Romulo Macalintal, responded by inviting Marcos and his lawyer to sign the joint motion at 9 a.m. tomorrow, Feb. 7.

“We accept the challenge of Mr. Marcos and his lawyer to sign a joint motion to withdraw any and all pending motions and incidents at the PET,” he said.

The veteran lawyer said he accepted Marcos’ challenge to “confirm that we are not causing the delay in the recount of ballots.”

“It is Mr. Marcos’ raising of baseless allegations and irrelevant issues that is causing the delay in the recount,” he pointed out.

Macalintal, however, didn’t give any specific location, where he and Marcos will meet to sign the joint motion.

On January 29, Marcos challenged Robredo to withdraw their pending motions before the PET so they will be able to proceed immediately with the ballot recount.

His spokesperson and lawyer, Vic Rodriguez, renewed this call to Robredo’s camp last Sunday to “sign a joint motion withdrawing all our outstanding motions so we could go straight to the recount.”

“We have been instructed by Senator Marcos to draft the joint motion and Senator Marcos is ready to sign it anytime. We are fervently hoping that Mrs. Robredo will do the same,” he said.

But, according to Macalintal, the dare of Marcos to the Vice President to withdraw all their motions was just a “bluff ” and “diversionary tactic.”