Thursday, July 19, 2007 Speak out: Zubiri’s win By Joe Cimafranca
THE Supreme Court unanimously denied Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III’s petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop Comelec from canvassing the Maguindanao votes.
Yet seven of the justices led by Chief Justice Reynato Puno would later vote to grant a TRO to prevent Comelec from proclaiming Miguel Zubiri as winner of the 12th slot in the senatorial race.
Leila de Lima, who argued on Pimentel’s behalf, claimed that Pimentel was denied due process because Comelec did not allow them to question the municipal certificates of canvass in Maguindanao and show that the election results were manufactured.
Justice Renato Corona said that to grant de Lima’s plea for TRO would indefinitely delay the proclamation and disenfranchise the Maguindanao electorate.
He added that Pimentel may still question the Maguindanao figures in the Senate Electoral Tribunal.
Justice Antonio Carpio said that the exclusion of Maguindanao votes would require a special election in Maguindanao.
Luckily for Zubiri, eight votes are needed to for the TRO application to be granted.
During a break in the hearing, one of the justices laughingly remarked that Koko was like the “dog in the manger” barking, “If I can’t have it, Migz cannot”!
