THURSDAY / ocroBER V,2019
WWW.INQUIRER.NET
Junk poll protest, business club asks
By Roy Stephen C. Canivel
and DJ Yap
@Team-Inquirer
Ihe Makati Business Club (MBC)
cn Wednesday expressed hope
that the release of a report on the
recount of votes in the 2016 vice
presidential elections would
teadto the junking of Ferdinand
Marcos Jr.'s protest case against
fice Pr€sident Leni Robredo.
"we hope this is a step to-
ivard dismissing the protest, and
:educing the political and iudicial
rncertainty that came with it-
mcertainty tlat manifests in risk
)remiums for those who would
nvest in Philippine jobs and in-
lustries," t}Ie group said in a Supreme Court justices on
itatemenL
The MBC added that putting
:he protest to rest would allow
the high court and the Office of
the Vice President "to focus on
pressing issues with great im-
pact on the well-being of the
Filipino people."
The MBC, a private non-
stock, nonprofit business orga-
nization founded by Enrique
zobel following the 198r lifting
of martial law, is chaired by
Edgar Chua, president and CEO
of Cavitex Holdings Corp.
It is cochaired by Jaime Au-
gusto zobel de Ayala II, chair
and CEO of Ayala Corp., and
Roberto de Ocampo, chair of
Philippine veterans Bank.
Recount results
Tuesday voted fl-2 to release to
the parties the Sept. 9 report on
the recount done in the three
Autonomous Region in Muslim
flindanao (ARMM), Deputy
Speaker and Basilan Rep. Mujiv
Hataman said in a statement,
adding that the PET must "dis-
miss such abaseless protest."
Martial law atrocities
"The people in the now-de-
funct ARMM voted according to
their conscience and decisively
elected vice President Leni Ro-
Leni Robredo Ferdinand Marcos Jr. bredo. She deserves to serve the
people who gave her the man-
test provinces handpicked by provinces of Camarines Sur, date to the second highest post
Marcos. Acting as Presidential Iloilo and Negros Oriental. He in the land," said Hataman, a for-
Electoral Tribunal (PET), the also petitioned for the annul- mer ARMM governor and mem-
high court required the'parties ment df votes in the Mindanao berofRobredo's Liberal Party.
to comment on the recount re- provinces of Basilan, Maguin- The people of ARMM voted
sults within 20 days. danao and Lanao del Sur for al- against Marcos "because of the
Marcos, who lost to Robredo leged irregularities. atrocities they experienced dur-
by 263,473 votes, had sought a But Marcos could not have ing the time of martial law un-
vote recount in the pilot beaten Robredo in the former der the term of the elder Max-
.t
\ PAq€- As"
cos," Hataman said, referring to
the dictator Ferdinand Marcos
who was ousted inapopular up-
rising in 1986.
"This may be the reason
Bongbong Marcos did not even
campaign personally in some
parts of Mindanao and AI.MM,
for this would require acknowl-
edging their family's crimes, es-
pecially those against the
Bangsamoro people," the Basi-
lan lawmaker said.
Marcoi Jr. also "did not act
on the measure now known as
the Bangsamoro Organic Law"
when he was a senator, Hata-
man added.
"vice President Robredo
won the hearts of the people of
ARMM, and won the region's
vote alongside Presiden!
Duterte," he added. tNQ