RUMORS sometimes come in tandem or in a cluster. The rumors about the election protest filed by Bongbong Marcos, the former senator who ran against Leni Robredo and lost in the 2016 election, include these:
[1] The protest is over and the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), will announce its ruling soon.
False: What was concluded was the recount, under PET supervision and control, of ballots in three pilot provinces. The report of the recount was submitted to PET.
[2] Bongbong failed to make "a significant votes recovery" in the said pilot provinces.
Not confirmed: While the results were already submitted to the SC/PET, they were not yet officially released.
The rife rumor about a Robredo win is just speculation at this stage although both camps claim victory. While the Marcos and Robredo camps are gagged by a PET sub-judice warning, the claims persist in anonymous or unidentified digital media outlets.
[3] The protest rules include Rule 65 that says in effect that if the protestant fails to recover enough votes in the recount of ballots in the three pilot provinces (which Bongbong had identified), the SC/PET may dismiss the protest. But, breaching precedence, it can set aside the rule and proceed to continue the recount.
True. But the unconfirmed rumor is that the SC/PET decision might be swayed by a power group. It could proceed with the protest despite Rule 65, which would dash the hopes of the Robredo camp for an early victory in the protest.
Clearing of city streets
The publicized order to clean obstructionists on streets in local government units was not clear to Cebu City Hall, at least initially.
Former Cebu City councilor Jose Daluz III, special assistant to Mayor Edgar Labella, earlier said they would clarify whether the DILG order to remove obstructions from the streets include those on sidewalks. Daluz was talking to leaders and members of an umbrella organization of vendors in the city.
The vendors had complained they couldn't talk directly with Labella. It turned out, however, that the mayor was set to enforce the DILG order and did not need the clarification.
The vendors' next move would be to raise their appeal "not to be deprived of their livelihood" to President Rodrigo Duterte, through Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino.
People are watching how the Labella administration would handle sensitive issues such as the clearing of city streets and the traffic problem.
People talk about...
[1] MARCOS'S WEALTH. A letter circulated on the internet purportedly tell the "true state" of the wealth of former martial law president Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
It was branded as fake because of the "forged" signature of former senator and ex-PCGG head Jovito Salonga.
But these features in the document are tell-tale signs of fakery and "some traces of insanity":
* The statement that Marcos had no ill-gotten wealth because it was "composed of divine assets and properties of the Holy Father in heaven";
* The claim that those possessions are controlled
"by a Spiritual Wonder Boy" and can no longer be accessed to by anyone else because they are "divine and restricted."
* The letter, included in a supposed 62-page last will and testament included the purported signatures of Marcos, Cory Aquino and Salonga and, among others, the queen of England.
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