Ang pagtanggap ng puwesto sa Gabinete habang nakabimbin ang kanyang election protest ay mangangahulugan ng political suicide para kay Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
Kumbinsido si Atty. Romulo Macalintal, abogado ni Vice President-elect Leni Robredo, na maibabasura lang ang electoral protest ni Marcos dahil ang pagtanggap ng puwesto sa Gabinete ay nangangahulugan na inabandona at iniurong na ng senador ang protesta nito sa pagkakahalal ni Robredo.
“Marcos’ protest would then be likened to the dismissal of the 1998 presidential election protest filed by Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago against former President Fidel Ramos when Santiago ran and assumed the office of Senator while her protest was pending,” saad sa pahayag ni Macalintal.
“The Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) held that Santiago’s election protest has been rendered moot and academic by its abandonment or withdrawal by (Santiago) as a consequence of her election and assumption of office as Senator and her discharge of the duties and functions thereof,” paliwanag pa ng mahusay at kilalang election lawyer.
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Ito ang naging pahayag ni Macalintal kasunod ng napaulat na pakikipag-usap ni Marcos kay President-elect Rodrigo Duterte tungkol sa posibilidad na bigyan ng huli ng puwesto sa Gabinete si Marcos matapos ang expiration ng isang-buwang ban sa appointment ng mga talunang kandidato.
Ngunit para kay Macalintal, isa itong pag-amin na si Marcos “lost the election for Vice-President and the weakness of any election protest he would file against VP-elect Leni Robredo.”
Plano ng kampo ni Marcos na maghain ng election protest sa PET ngayong buwan. (Leslie Ann G. Aquino)
