The incoming Justice Secretary Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre will lead the group of lawyers together with Atty. Salvador Panelo in representing the presumptive president of the Philippines, Pres. Rody Duterte in the highly anticipated national canvassing to be conducted by the Senate and House of Representatives.
The national canvassing for the presidential election will start tomorrow, May 24, 2016 so Mayor Rody Duterte decided to form his nine-man legal team. The Davao City Mayor wrote separate letters to Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. informing the of the legal team that would represent his party, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and its ally, Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP).
Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre will head the PDP-Laban legal team composed of incoming executive secretary Bingbong Medialdea, former Justice Secretary Alberto Agra, incoming solicitor general Jose Calida and Loreto Ata, a member of the Duterte transition team.
The LDP contingent representing Mayor Duterte will be headed by Atty. Panelo, the incoming presidential spokesperson togehter with Inocencio Ferrer Jr., former Finance Secretary of Pres. Arroyo; Demaree JB Rabal, a former lawyer of Fernando Poe Jr., and LDP Secretary General and Counsel; and Rudyard Avila.
Atty. Aguirre and Atty. Panelo are set to meet today, May 23 before the Senate and House of Representatives open their joint session as the Natioanl Board of Canvassers on May 24. According to NBS, the start of canvassing is on May 25, withe the proclamation of winners to follow soon after.