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Philippine poll chief to Marcos: Prove vote count anomaly

Associated Press
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FILE - In this Thursday, May 5, 2016, file photo, vice presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., waves to supporters on his last campaign rally for the presidential elections in suburban Mandaluyong city, east of Manila, Philippines. The son of the late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos asked for a stop to an unofficial vote count that shows his rival has overtaken him. Marcos' adviser Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz said Tuesday, May 10, 2016, the campaign had sent an urgent request to the election commission to halt a tally released by an accredited citizens' group, saying the numbers showed "an alarming and suspicious trend" that was contrary to independent exit polls. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez, File) (The Associated Press)

Philippine vice presidential candidate Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo, center, talks to reporters after a press conference in suburban Quezon city, north of Manila, Philippines, Tuesday, May 10, 2016. Robredo is slightly ahead of Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., the son of the late strongman, in an unofficial count of votes for the vice president. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila) (The Associated Press)

A resident checks the damage of a tarpaulin billboard of leading presidential candidate Mayor Rodrigo Duterte along a boulevard at his hometown in Davao city in southern Philippines Wednesday, May 11, 2016. Duterte has widened his lead in an unofficial tally but still refuses to claim victory. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez) (The Associated Press)

Philippine election officials have challenged Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to prove his allegations of irregularities in the counting of votes for vice president, where he has been overtaken by his closest rival.

They rejected for the meantime Marcos' request that an unofficial tally by an accredited citizens' watchdog be stopped.

The son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos had initially led the partial, unofficial count by the watchdog known by its acronym PPCRV. But as of Wednesday afternoon, administration candidate Rep. Leni Robredo is leading by more than 230,000 votes, putting her 0.6 points ahead of Marcos.

If Marcos wins, that would put him a step away from the presidency 30 years after his father was ousted by a public uprising amid allegations of plunder and widespread human rights abuses.