VP Robredo invokes ‘truth’ in PET case

By Juan Escandor Jr. NAGA CITY---With the preliminary conference now moving the election protest of former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. against her, Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo invoked the “truth” as her source of confidence to the case lodged before the Presidential Election Tribunal (PET). Robredo said she leaves it to the Supreme Court sitting as PET while the case against her is undergoing the preliminary conference like any other cases lodged in courts. She said she is confident especially that one of the provinces being questioned by Marcos is Camarines Sur. “We know nothing happened here (Camarines Sur). Robredo said: “For as long as we are on the side of the truth, we have nothing to fear.” She said that in relation to the campaign “Piso para sa Laban ni Leni” they advise those who wanted to help in the case to go directly to the Supreme Court for their contribution. “Many offered donations directly to me. But I did not accept them because it is prohibited for government officials to accept donations from private entities,” Robredo said. She said she told those who initiated to give donation to ask permission from the Supreme Court. Robredo said the people interested to give donations, with regards to the fees to be paid for the counterprotest, have filed at the Supreme Court a motion to accept the donations and they are still waiting for its resolution. According to Inquirer columnist Rina Jimenez-David, Robredo is required to turn over P15.43M to the PET which will be due on July 14. Jimenez-David in her column “At Large” on July 7 said the women behind the “Piso para sa Laban ni Leni”, who are all awardees of The Outstanding Women in Nation’s Service (TOWNS) are asking the Supreme Court to allow them to take part in Robredo’s counter protest. She said that as of latest count, P400,000 has been raised through the Piso para sa Laban ni Leni which will go directly to the PET if they will be allowed. Jimenez-David said should the group’s appeal be junked, the money raised will go to the Office of the Vice President’s Angat Buhay Program.