Comelec to tap Solicitor General Calida in Marcos protest, says poll tribunal source

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) will tap the services of Solicitor General Jose Calida in filing a comment on the pending appeal of the Vice President Maria Leonor Robredo asking the Supreme Court—sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET)—to set the valid vote threshold for the manual counting of votes in the 2016 Vice Presidential race at 25 percent, a PET insider told The Manila Times on Tuesday.

The PET insider, who has been observing the ongoing poll recount, questioned Comelec’s decision to get Calida involved in the matter when the poll body has issued a September 2016 Resolution setting the valid vote threshold for the manual counting of shaded ovals of ballots at 25 percent—a Resolution issued in response to an August 2016 request from the High Court asking for Comelec’s guidance on what should be the valid vote threshold for the manual recount of votes stemming from the protest former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. filed against Robredo.