By Macon Araneta
Three senators from different political parties and an independent senator predicted that former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, who has a pending electoral protest against Vice-president Leni Robredo, will likely replace her after the burial of his late father at the Heroes’ cemetery in Taguig City.
Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel lll is the latest to predict a change in leadership in the country’s second highest elective position.
“The country will suddenly wake up with a new vice-president,” said Pimentel who has opposed the Marcos interment at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB).
“I don’t like to give credence to rumors. I’ve once (participated) in an election protest, that’s a long process,” Pimentel told reporters when sought for comment on an alleged plan to steal the post from Robredo.
“But the system does not work that way,” said the President of the PDP-Laban where President Duterfe sits as the national chairman.
Senators Paolo Benigno Aquino IV of the Liberal Party, Antonio Trillanes IV of the Nacionalista Party and independent Sen. Chiz Escudero believe the idea of Marcos sneaking in as vice-president is not far fetched.
“If this thing can happen at this time, maybe we really should be vigilant,” said Aquino, adding a new dimension to the burial of Marcos last November 18 which happened quickly despite numerous protests.
“We should closely watch what’s happening in the Supreme Court, the police and even in our Senate and Congress,” added the cousin of former President Noynoy Aquino.
Trillanes said, “We should now expect Marcos to be the vice-president of the country soon after the Supreme Court effectively rewrote history.”
“In their purely legalistic eyes, the EDSA People Power, which was emulated globally and which we celebrate yearly, never happened,” Trillanes said.
Escudero acknowledged the possibility of Marcos ousting Robredo but pointed out the resolution of the protest before the SC – acting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET) – will likely take some time.
The PET earlier directed both Marcos and Robredo to submit copies of the contested electoral returns.
Marcos accused Robredo of cheating and asked the PET to issue a precautionary protection order on the election returns, and asked for the re-opening of the certificates of canvass of the May 9 elections.
Robredo, won in the May elections by a thin margin of 263,473 votes.
Meanwhile, Pimentel said a text message was allegedly circulating that a recount of ballots from four to five provinces would start end of November and would be finished by December.
“You can bet early next year, we have a new VP,” the text reportedly said.
