MANILA, Philippines – Former Biliran representative Glen Chong, who alleges there was fraud in the 2016 elections, denied being a supporter of vice presidential candidate Ferdinand Marcos Jr despite two letters showing otherwise.

Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon raised the issue on Tuesday, July 31, during a Senate hearing on the alleged poll fraud in 2016, where Chong is one of the resource persons alleging the anomaly.

“According to the counsel of Mr Marcos, you are one of the representatives,” Drilon told Chong.

Citing two letters from Marcos’ counsel George Garcia to the Commission on Elections, Drilon said Chong was among the representatives authorized by the Marcos camp to attend the Decryption of Secure Digital Cards, the Comelec briefing and the stripping of the Unused CCS kits and back-up of SD cards in 2017.

Garcia sent the letters to then Comelec commissioner Christian Robert Lim on January 12 and March 15, 2017.

Chong, however, denied it, saying he never went to any event of the Presidential Electoral Tribunal and that the Marcos camp only nominated him.

“I was nominated but I did not accept the nomination,” Chong said.

The letters of Marcos’ lawyer, however, did not say that they were “nominating” Chong. Instead, they were already informing Comelec that they will be “sending” Chong as among the “regular and alternate representatives of protestant Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr” in the said events.

During the hearing, Chong claimed that there were early transmission of votes days and hours ahead of the May 9 elections.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III, who earlier delivered a privilege speech on the alleged poll fraud, said Chong was not his source.

He said his source, whose counsel is Levito Baligod, has “deep” knowledge on the issue.

Baligod told the panel that Sotto’s source could not attend the hearing because of a non-disclosure contract. He, however, said the source might be able to do so if the Senate compels him or her. – Rappler.com