SC sets initial conference on Roxas protest on Sept. 30
The Supreme Court, acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal, has set the preliminary conference on the protest case filed by former Senator Manuel Roxas II against Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sept. 30, 10 a.m.
In his petition, the losing Liberal Party vice presidential candidate claimed that a recount of the more than three million votes declared “null votes” by the Commission on Elections would have a great impact on the outcome of the vice presidential elections last May 10.
The PET also appointed former COMELEC Chairman and erstwhile SC Associate Justice Bernardo Pardo to be the hearing commissioner for the preliminary conference on Roxas’ protest case.
SC Spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said there is no need for the presence of both Binay and Roxas during the preliminary conference.
Their respective counsels can represent them, he said.
Roxas has not conceded to Binay, who garnered 14,645,574 votes to win by a margin of 727,084 over Roxas’s 13,918,490.
After the death of former President Corazon Aquino last year, Roxas abandoned his presidential bid to give way to now President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, who eventually became the standard bearer of the Liberal Party.
He had earlier said he has no regrets taking the back seat for Aquino, claiming he is glad that their sacrifices and hardships have paid off.*
