Poe Proposes Senate Hearing on Wet Ballots Discovered During VP Vote Recount, Robredo Disagrees

Senator Grace Poe is now proposing a Senate investigation on some of the wet ballots which was used during the 2016 presidential election. This is after former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said that 4 out of the 42 ballot boxes that underwent manual recount were all wet, including all the ballots, which the contents are now as "illegible."

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“Hindi natin ito dapat balewalain, sapagkat boto ng taong bayan ang nakasalalay dito. Kailangan malaman natin kung bakit aksidente bang nabasa o sinadya. Saan nila nilagay? Sino ang nagbantay? Kailangang may managot dito. Hindi natin alam, baka hindi lang yun mga balotang nabasa, di ba?” Sen. Poe told reporters, Tuesday, April 3.

(We should not take this for granted, because it’s the people’s vote that matter here. We need to know if they become wet by accident, or it was intentional. Where did they place them? Who guarded them? Someone should be liable. We don’t know, maybe those were not the only ones that got wet.)

Poe, who ran president last 2016 elections and placed third, added that Smartmatic should also be invited in the Senate hearing. “Ang alam ko, sealed at water proof ang mga ballot boxes. So, pano nakapasok ang tubig dun? (As far as I know, the ballot boxes are sealed at water proof. So, how did water was able to go inside?” She added.

Must Read: Wet Ballots Reveal Votes for Bongbong Marcos, Paper Forensic Expert Says

Must Read: Robredo Protests Over Unused Ballots With Votes for Her, “Dapat Kasali Sila sa Bilang”

"They've only been recently wet. If they were wet during election day, siguro natuyo na iyun. Hindi naman siguro 2 years na basa iyun. May nagbasa," Marcos told reporters. This was his response to the statement of Atty. Romulo Macalintal, VP Leni Robredo’s legal counsel, who said that the ballots have been wet shortly after the 2016 elections.

In addition, Marcos said that that 38 ballot boxes have missing audit logs, which he said is very important because they contain the record of the time the precinct opened, the time it was closed, and the time the votes were cast. Meanwhile, VP Robredo insisted there is no need for a Senate hearing on this matter, saying that it’s not necessary.



“Para sa akin, hindi na kailangan ng Senate hearing dito. Hayaan na lang natin ang PET na magdesisyon tungkol dito. Maraming mas dapat unahin ang ating mga mambabatas. (For me, I think there’s no need for a Senate hearing. Let the PET alone decide on this matter. Our lawmakers have more important things to prioritize.)” She said.

Contributed by Renato Pasayao