<p>
Robredo, who may face impeachment for her UN video message, said the vast social media machinery of Marcos continue to twist facts and condition the minds of the public that she cheated by endlessly propagating rumors that she is afraid of his election protest.  She said:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"We have lost in the propaganda front. They have a story for our every move, sometimes even before it happens. This is why I've said that the Marcoses are difficult foes. They have the capability, their infrastructure in social media is in place.  We don't have that kind of resources." 
</p>
</div>

<p>
Robredos comments came after the Marcos' camp asked the Supreme Court, sitting as the PET, to act on his election protest in the midst of a "well-funded and concerted" destabilization plot against President Duterte.
</p>
<p>
In a 25-page comment and opposition to the motion for reconsideration filed by Leni "Daang Matuwid" Rodredo on the PET's resolution finding his election protest to be sufficient in form and substance, Marcos, through his lawyer George Edwin Garcia, asked the PET on Friday, March 24, 2016, to proceed with his case by setting it for preliminary conference and ordering the retrieval of ballot boxes so his case can finally move forward.
</p>
<p>
Garcia said it has been nine months since Marcos filed his protest and the Tribunal has yet to schedule the preliminary conference.  In those nine months, he pointed out, destabilization efforts against the present government have been continuously waged. Garcia pointed out:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"In those nine months, several plots on destabilizing the government have surfaced which are contrary to public interest. There is clearly a well-funded concerted effort to undermine the Duterte administration.  Just recently, Robredo's video message on the alleged extrajudicial killings caused quite a stir among our patriotic countrymen." 
</p>
</div>
<p>
He said the Tribunal should not tolerate the duplicity of Robredo who has been insisting the she won the vice presidential race but has been opposing every move to prevent the truth from coming out.
</p>
<h3>
Can't have cake and eat it, too
</h3>
<p>
Garcia said Robredo cannot have it both ways.  She cannot keep claiming that she won the elections fair and square and yet, behind everyone's back, she keeps finding ways to stop the truth from coming out:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"The evidence of Marcos is probably the same evidence that Robredo has by now.  If this is the case, one cannot help but wonder why she does not want the proceeding to move forward."
</p>
</div>
<p>
In arguing against Robredo's claim that his protest should be dismissed because Marcos failed to allege the sufficiency of his evidence on election fraud, Garcia said the issue of sufficiency in form and substance had been settled by the Tribunal not just once but twice:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"The sufficiency of the form, substance and content of the election protest filed by protestant Marcos was judiciously affirmed by this Honorable Tribunal in two instances already.  First, when it resolved to issue the Summons (dated 12 July 2016) against  Robredo, and second, when it denied the special and affirmative defenses of Robredo as contained in the Resolution promulgated on 24 January 2017."
</p>
</div>
<p>
He said the ruling on sufficiency in form and substance has become final because Robredo did not move for a motion for reconsideration on the 12 July 2016 resolution of the Tribunal in which it made a categorical declaration that Marcos' Election Protest is sufficient in form and substance:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"It is now too late for Robredo to question this finding because she did not move for the reconsideration of the pronouncement of Honorable Tribunal's relevant to the sufficiency of this election protest.  Hence, this finding is now FINAL."
</p>
</div>
<p>
Since the sufficiency in form and substance had already been settled twice, Garcia said public interest dictates that the Tribunal should now set the case for preliminary conference to give way to the reception of evidence, the re-opening of the ballot boxes and the manual recount, judicial revision, technical examination and forensic investigation of the paper ballots and / or the ballot images and other paraphernalia used in the elections, Garcia said:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"The term of an elective office is short.  There is the contestants' personal stake which generates feuds and discords.  Above all is the public interest. A title to public elective office must not be left long under a cloud.  The efficiency of public administration should not be impaired (by delays)."
</p>
</div>
<p>
Ultimately the issue in Marcos' election protest is quite simple, Garcia said, and it is the search for truth on the true will of the people:
</p>
<div class="article-comment">
<p>
"The issue here is simple: Do we want the truth to come out or not? More than nine (9) months have already gone by and all Robredo has done is to file one dilatory motion after another.  If Robredo has nothing to hide, then she should do everything in her power to encourage – rather than hinder three-fourths of this election protest to move forward. The millions of voters who trooped to the polls 9 months ago deserve no less.  They want the truth to come out.  The sooner the better." 
</p>
</div>

<p>
<strong>Sources</strong>: 
</p>
<ol class="article-sources">
<li>
Leni whines over losing publicity war to Marcos  by Tribune Wire, March 29, 2017, <a href="https://goo.gl/Vpdkbh" target="_blank" class="news_link" title="Source">The Daily Tribune</a>
</li>
</ol>

<p>
<small>
(This article is adapted from the source listed above. We are unable to grant permission for any kind of reproduction other than social media shares.)
</small>
</p>


After UN video message, Robredo now complains over losing publicity war to Bongbong