Office of the Vice President : Press Release

Ms. Ronadale Zapata
83321148/8334507

LOREN CONTRADICTING HERSELF — DE CASTRO LAWYER
15 December 2005

DEFEATED vice presidential candidate Loren Legarda Leviste is very confused, according to the election lawyer of Vice-President Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro.

Atty. Romulo Macalintal said this was shown by her contradicting positions in connection with the 2004 vice-presidential poll recount.

Macalintal said he couldn’t understand why Legarda is questioning the Congressional copies of the election returns. “If the camp of Legarda did not insist that the ERs in the custody of Congress be tabulated, the Comelec returns would have been used instead,” Macalintal said.

Earlier, Legarda requested the Presidential Electoral Tribunal to open the ballot boxes from Congress, as she did not trust the Comelec returns.

The recount of Congress-copy ERs started early this week where the lead of De Castro over Legarda widened.

Macalintal pointed out that Legarda’s contradicting claims are borne by the fact that she knew that De Castro did not cheat and that he is the real winner. “Ngayong nakikita niyang maaga na mas marami talaga ang nakuhang boto ni De Castro ay sinasabi niya na naman na tampered ang mga election returns sa Kongreso. Does this mean that she has changed her mind and now trusts the election returns from Comelec?”

Meanwhile, Atty. Armando Marcelo, lawyer of De Castro, of Andres Marcelo Padernal Guerrero Paras law offices, said that it would be better for Legarda to wait for the final decision of the PET with regard to her protest.

“We believe in the authority and ability of PET to deal and resolve the issues at hand. It would be better if we would let the process take its course, and just allow the Vice President to dutifully perform his tasks and functions.

Ref. VPMEDIA 05-196