MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, March 7, expressed support to Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III's proposal to conduct an inquiry into the alleged fraud in the 2016 elections.
Sotto, in a privilege speech delivered Tuesday, March 6, called on his colleagues to look into the allegation of his "concerned and impeccably reliable source" that the results of the 2016 elections were "altered."
Amid Sotto's appeal, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said the executive branch hopes that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would also conduct a separate investigation.
"I hope Comelec will investigate this (alleged poll fraud, as Sotto called upon) the Senate to investigate," Roque told reporters in Palawan.
"So let's allow them to investigate and let's see if President (Rodrigo Duterte) will also direct his investigative government branch to look into it," he added.
Sotto, quoting his source, noted the supposed early transmission of votes and foreign access to election servers during the conduct of the 2016 national elections.
He said the planned Senate investigation would help determine if there is truth to the allegations.
"It is high time that the proper Senate committee investigate the Automated Election System and subpoena Comelec and Smartmatic to provide the relevant data, as regards these allegations," the lawmaker said.
"In any case, I believe that the outcome of any investigation on this matter will surely lead yo more accurate and transparent system and results for the coming 2018 elections," he added.
The Senate electoral reforms committee, which is headed by Senator Richard Gordon, has yet to act on Sotto's claims.
Prior to Sotto's revelation, former senator and losing 2016 vice president candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr. filed an election protest against Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, claiming that he has substantial evidence of alleged vote manipulation in the 2016 polls. (SunStar Philippines)