Foreign
THE Philippines’ Supreme Court has dismissed an election protest filed by the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos against Vice President Leni Robredo, more than four years after the contest was filed.
The high tribunal on Tuesday decided unanimously to junk the case filed by Ferdinand `Bongbong’ Marcos Junior, one month after national elections were held in the Philippines in 2016, said the court’s spokesman, Brian Hosaka.
Hosaka did not say if Marcos can appeal the decision.
Marcos, a former Senator, and Provincial Governor lost to Robredo by 263,473 votes in the 2016 elections and claimed that the count was marred by fraud.
However, a recount showed that Robredo’s lead over Marcos widened by some 15,000 votes.
Marcos’s camp held out hopes that the decision was not yet final, noting that the court had yet to act on its appeal to annul votes from the southern region of Mindanao.
“The tribunal is yet to decide on the matter,’’ said lawyer Vic Rodriguez, a spokesman for Marcos.
There was no immediate reaction from Robredo, but legislators said the decision put to rest any doubts on her victory in 2016 and would allow her to concentrate on her work.
Many see Robredo as a strong contender for the upcoming presidential election in 2022.(DPA/NAN)
-Feb, 16, 2021 10:57
Tags: Philippine court scraps poll protest of late dictator Marcos’s son
