Vice President Leni Robredo will remain in her post regardless of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal’s (PET) decision on the initial recount conducted as part of the poll protest filed by former Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr., her lawyer said Sunday (October 6).

Romulo Macalintal made the clarification amid reports that the Supreme Court, sitting as PET, will issue a ruling soon on the initial recount or review of ballots in the three pilot provinces that Marcos had chosen.

In a statement, Romulo Macalintal explained that the Supreme Court sitting a PET will only resolve whether the poll protest should continue after the ballots from Camarines Sur, Iloilo and Negros Oriental have been recounted.

“I just want to make it very clear that whatever will be the decision or resolution of the PET in the election protest of Bongbong Marcos against VP Leni Robredo, as reported in various media and the subject of various speculations, VP Robredo will remain as Vice President,” he said.

“If the PET says that Marcos has made a substantial recovery, then the PET will rule that the protest shall continue, insofar as the ballots and/or election returns questioned by Marcos from 22 remaining provinces and 5 highly urbanized cities. In which case, Robredo remains as Vice President pending recount of ballots or returns from said 22 provinces and 5 HUCs (highly urbanized cities),” Macalintal added.

The initial recount of ballots in the three pilot provinces chosen by Marcos took one year and six months.

The PET is expected to tackle Associate Justice Benjamin Caguioa’s report on the initial recount assessment on Tuesday (October 8).