INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

Among Ed loses early recount round

Philippine Daily Inquirer

Marlon Ramos Tonette Orejas

PAMPANGA governor Eddie Panlilio lost in the early round of his fight against a recount of votes in the 2007 elections that an ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was questioning after she lost by about 1,000 votes to the priest-turned-politician.

The Commission on Elections Second Division junked a petition by Panlilio to stop the creation of 21 committees to conduct a recount of the votes cast in the gubernatorial elections in Pampanga.

The Comelec had said that 21 committees were being created to speed up the process.

Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer allayed Panlilio’s fear the recount was tilted in favor of Lilia Pineda, a close friend of Arroyo and wife of suspected jueteng lord Rodolfo “Bong” Pineda. Lilia, former board member, was Panlilio’s closest rival in the 2007 elections.

Ferrer said closed circuit TV cameras and video screens would be set up at the venue of the recount to ensure transparency in the process and allay fears of cheating.

Panlilio tried to block the creation of 21 committees to conduct a new count of the votes, saying it was too costly for him.

Ferrer said he found Panlilio’s reasons “unmeritorious.”

In Pampanga, Panlilio said he believed Malacañang was behind the recount, although he said he didn’t have clear proof to substantiate his allegation.

“It is the belief of the people that Malacañang is behind this, if not at the level of the President but at the level of Congressman Mikey [Arroyo]. That’s the belief of the people,” he said.

He said Malacañang wanted him out as governor because “they would not want a governor that is not favorable to them.”

“They want to get this governor out of office,” he said at a rally of his supporters on Tuesday.

According to Panlilio, his supporters believed that his criticisms against the Arroyos had earned him their ire.

He said these included statements that Representative Arroyo was the “easiest candidate to beat” and that Ms Arroyo was “not certain” of winning in the second district.

Add to those were his opposition to moves to convene a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, his disclosure of the P500,000 he received after a meeting of local officials with Ms Arroyo at the height of the ZTE scandal in October 2007, the plunder cases he filed against Rodolfo Pineda and the Lapids, his anti-corruption drive at the capitol and his criticisms over the frequent visits of the President in the second district.

Speaking in the program, Panlilio said the recount case was not a local but a national issue as well because Pampanga, he said, has become the “next battleground” of the Arroyos’ bid to stay longer in power.

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