"If you really won, let us count… Don’t be afraid if you really won. Don’t resort to technicalities," Brillantes said to the President.

Brillantes, along with House Minority Leader Francis Escudero, held a press conference at the media center of the House of Representatives. The two later went to see the ballot boxes stored at the South Wing lobby of the Lower House.

FPJ’s lawyer appealed to the Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal, to now resolve the election protest filed when his client was still alive and whether FPJ’s, wife Susan Roces (Jesusa Sonora in real life), could substitute for him.

According to Brillantes, the PET could not drag the protest too long as FPJ’s followers and the Filipino people are eager to know who really won between the late movie actor and President Arroyo.

FPJ protested the results of the canvassing done by Congress last year showing President Arroyo ahead of him by more than one million votes.

FPJ claimed Congress erred in proclaiming Arroyo as the winner in the presidential race, saying he was cheated.

Two weeks ago, the PET ordered FPJ’s legal team to respond to Arroyo’s petition seeking the dismissal of the election protest in view of FPJ’s death.

Brillantes said that while it is true that the petition is gone, it does not mean the protest is already abrogated. The people’s interest has taken over, he added.

In filing her petition to dismiss, the President also said that entertaining the electoral protest would create instability in the country.

But Brillantes said Malacañang would see more instability once it decides to keep the truth behind the ballots that are being questioned.