During deliberations on Tuesday (July 12, 2016), the magistrates agreed to require Robredo to file her comment, where she is expected to present her defenses and arguments to dispute the allegations of Marcos that there was massive cheating during the May 2016 elections.


The case was raffled off to Associate Justice Alfredo Benjamin Caguioa, who has ties to both parties.


Caguioa is a classmate of former President Benigno Aquino 3rd, Robredo's Liberal Party mate, from elementary to college. He was also a classmate of the former senator's wife, Liza Araneta-Marcos, at the Ateneo de Manila University College of Law.


Aquino has a huge stake in the case, having drafted Robredo to run against Marcos. The former President's sister, actress Kris Aquino, was Robredo's top campaigner and financier.


Robredo won against Marcos with a margin of 263,473 votes.


Marcos is questioning the accuracy of the poll results and is asking for a probe of reported irregularities during the polls through a judicial revision or recount of the ballots and the examination, system audit and verification of the voter's receipts, election returns and related election documents.



Sources: News media outlets

Supreme Court ordered Robredo to answer Bongbong's protest