Office of the Vice President : Press Release

Refer to: Ms. Dale Zapata
83321148/8334507

VP NOLI’S CAMP: LEGARDA’S ACCUSATIONS, UTTERLY UNFAIR
27 September 2005

While urging for the immediate investigation of the alleged loss of ballot boxes incident, the camp of Vice President Noli “Kabayan” De Castro deplored as utterly unfair the accusations made by former senator Loren Legarda that the Vice President benefited from the alleged unaccounted election returns.

Loren cannot intelligently make a conclusion that the Vice President will benefit from the alleged unaccounted election returns because the Presidential Electoral Tribunal has yet to rule (on the procedure and) what other election documents can be used as basis for the recount, De Castro said.

De Castro pointed out that the PET can adopt a procedure and allow other authentic copies to be used to determine the correct election result.

Huwag naman niya husgahan ang PET na walang magagawa para maseguro na tama ang resulta ng bilangan.

Meanwhile, Atty. Carlo Vistan II, legal counsel of the Vice Ppresident, said that Sen. Legarda has turned a deaf ear to their appeals that she should let PET do its job.

Her media antics tend to destroy the credibility of PET if it does not decide in her favor, Vistan said.

Vistan believed that the Legarda camp is conditioning the minds of the public that if PET decides against her then an injustice has been done.

The Vice President reiterated his comment that – “I assure everyone that I never lifted a finger to corrupt and frustrate the true sovereign will of the Filipino people in their choice for the vice presidency. Kung alam ko na ako ay nandaya o nagbalak na mandaya sa nakaraang eleksyon, hindi ko makokonsensiya na tumagal na kahit isang Segundo man lamang sa aking kasalukuyang tungkulin. Umasa po ang lahat na patuloy kong pangangalagaan ang tiwala na ibinigay sa akin ng taumbayan.”