‘Panlilio recount ruling out by November’
INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—The decision on the recount and revision of votes in the contested gubernatorial elections in Pampanga against Governor Ed Panlilio is expected between November and December, Elections Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said Thursday.
“After both parties have presented their evidence in the two scheduled hearings on October 15 and 22, we at the second division will issue our decision on the last week of November or early December,” said Ferrer.
Results of the final recount will be made available after the resolution is issued to avoid speculations and trending of votes, he added.
The case filed by Lilia Pineda is being handled by the Commission on Elections Second Division, which Ferrer heads.
In the revision of votes, the committees of the two parties did an inventory of the contested 4,683 ballot boxes against the records in the election results (ERs). Ballots were examined to check for irregular marks, including the same handwriting for several ballots.
Ferrer said Pineda's legal counsel George Irwin Garcia have until Thursday afternoon to submit evidence on irregularities found on the ballots. Then, he said, he will furnish Panlilio's legal counsel Sixto Brillantes a copy of the exhibits.
On October 22, Panlilio can present his objections against Pineda’s claims, he said.
The party that will not be favored in the resolution can file a motion for reconsideration and later elevate the case to the Comelec en banc. If a party contests the en banc ruling, a motion for reconsideration can be filed again and again later elevate the case to the Supreme Court, said Ferrer.
Panlilio won by a slim margin of 1,147 votes over Pineda in the 2007 elections. Pineda later filed a petition stating that votes carrying her nickname “Nanay Baby” were “mis-appreciated” during the counting.
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TALLIES
| Escudero, Francis Joseph (GO) | 1,530,337 |
|---|---|
| Legarda, Loren (GO) | 1,445,355 |
| Aquino, Benigno Simeon III (GO) | 1,427,372 |
| Lacson, Panfilo (GO) | 1,315,961 |
| Pangilinan, Francis (IND) | 1,270,851 |
| Villar, Manuel Jr (GO) | 1,267,929 |
| Cayetano, Alan Peter (GO) | 1,097,065 |
| Arroyo, Joker (TU) | 1,046,152 |
| Angara, Edgardo (TU) | 999,396 |
| Trillanes, Antonio IV (GO) | 980,643 |
| Recto, Ralph (TU) | 971,250 |
| Zubiri, Juan Miguel (TU) | 957,930 |
| Legarda, Loren (GO) | 14,161,803 |
|---|---|
| Escudero, Francis Joseph (GO) | 13,919,444 |
| Lacson, Panfilo (GO) | 12,027,067 |
| Villar, Manuel Jr (GO) | 11,674,064 |
| Aquino, Benigno Simeon III (GO) | 11,107,999 |
| Pangilinan, Francis (IND) | 11,092,665 |
| Angara, Edgardo (TU) | 9,689,358 |
| Cayetano, Alan Peter (GO) | 9,030,748 |
| Honasan, Gregorio (IND) | 9,013,231 |
| Arroyo, Joker (TU) | 8,977,075 |
| Trillanes, Antonio IV (GO) | 8,710,648 |
| Pimentel, Aquilino III (GO) | 8,449,279 |
| Legarda, Loren (GO) | 18,352,290 |
|---|---|
| Escudero, Francis Joseph (GO) | 18,095,757 |
| Lacson, Panfilo (GO) | 15,442,480 |
| Villar, Manuel Jr (GO) | 15,192,880 |
| Pangilinan, Francis (IND) | 14,415,704 |
| Aquino, Benigno Simeon III (GO) | 14,234,979 |
| Angara, Edgardo (TU) | 12,404,138 |
| Cayetano, Allan Peter (GO) | 11,736,410 |
| Arroyo, Joker (TU) | 11,550,655 |
| Honasan, Gregorio (IND) | 11,487,784 |
| Trillanes, Antonio IV (GO) | 11,138,067 |
| Pimentel, Aquilino III (GO) | 10,865,397 |
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