CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – A growing number of Kapampangans seem to be going out of the Arroyo closet after their “kabalen” Pres. Arroyo filed her candidacy for Congress in this province’s second district.
Supporters of Gov. Eddie Panlilio started yesterday their daily prayer vigil every 6 p.m. in front of the provincial Capitol building here amid expectations that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would eventually order his ouster.
In a statement, a multi-sectoral group called Kapampanga Kontra Recount (KKR) accused Malacanang of “manipulating” the electoral case.
Last Wednesday, some 30 Kapampangan journalists held a rally at the gate of the Holy Angel University in Angeles City where the President was guest in the blessing of a new chapel. They denounced the killing of mediamen in Maguindanao and the “culture of impunity” in such and other cases committed against journalists under the Arroyo administration.
Another group of some 100 Kapampangan multi-sectoral leaders held last Monday a protest march in the capital denouncing “political patronage” under the Arroyo administration as they also lamented the alleged bias of the Comelec against Panlilio and other politicians identified with the Liberal Party (LP).
“The elections are at hand, yet those with influence and greed for power remain bent to obliterate our true sentiments expressed in the 2007 elections,” said KKR which was first organized to protest the order of the Comelec to recount votes cast in the gubernatorial race in the 2007 polls.
KKR called on Kapampangans to join the nightly prayer vigil and don black ribbons on their shirts and display such ribbons at their homes and on vehicles “to manifest the death of democracy in our province.”
The Comelec’s second division ordered the recount which was finished last September and is expected to be ruled upon anytime with Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer as ponente. Recently, the same division also ruled favorably on electoral cases against Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca who, like Panlilio, are members of the Liberal Party (LP) who are all seeking reelection.
Their cases were filed by defeated candidates identified with the Arroyo government. In the case of Panlilio, the complainant was Lilia Pineda, known as a close ally and friend of Pres. Arroyo. Pineda, who lost to Panlilio by 1,147 votes in 2007, will again run for governor under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
“Now they want to make it appear that we cheated, bought votes, and terrorized in the 2007 elections so they had to recount votes. They are booting out elected officials who go against their crooked minds and deeds. It is clear they are preparing the Capitol for those who want to control Pampanga,” the KKR statement said.
“Should we just let vanish what we had fought and stood for in the 2007 elections?,” it asked.
KKR said “we can never accept the premise that good and true Kapampangans were the ones to bought votes, terrorized, and cheated. Perhaps, this could be better said of those knowledgeable in (lahar sand) quarrying (anomalies) and ‘jueteng’. We will never be cowered by any challenge to our votes by those who are rich and influential.”
It also claimed “it is clear that Malacanang is manipulating things to perpetuate its interests to remain in power.”
“We took pride that in the 2007 elections, we voted freely and we bannered our dignity as Kapampangans. We volunteered to go out and guard our ballots so that our true will would come out. All of us- old, young, the educated and the simple folk, the great ones and the small- helped each other to fight for our dignity as true Kapampangan: free and without any tag price, wise and brave,” the KKR said.
KKR said “black ribbons will symbolize our grief over our dying democracy in Pampanga.”
“Let us keep watch and hold vigil against their evil designs and moves. Let us pray deeply for our beloved province,” it added.
KKR said that the threat to thwart the results of the 2007 elections has ceased to be an issue affecting only Panlilio. “This is now an issue affecting our dignity as free Kapampangans. This is an issue about our being a good and responsible Kapampangans. This is an issue on the sanctity of the ballot and our right to choose who would be our leader.”
During the President’s visit to HAU the other day, Kapampangan youths belonging to the Kabataan partylist, headed by its provincial coordinator Jason Comelio, also issued a statement decrying the visit as “part of her early campaigning for 2010 elections.”
“She would like to make sure she gets the support of all Kapampangans even those who are not from the 2nd district given that various groups and individuals are not in favor of her congressional candidacy and are calling for her to resign. The President’s camp claims that the Kapampangans are the ones who asked for her to run but we, with other progressive and cause-oriented groups are Kapampangans who are outrightly saying that we do not want her here in Pampanga nor in any other position in the government once again,” the statement said.
“ We want her to face all the issues of graft and corruption and human rights violations under her term today and most especially after her term as president,” the statement also said.
Comelio said the President has become “a very bad example to us Kapampangan youth.”
Supporters of Gov. Eddie Panlilio started yesterday their daily prayer vigil every 6 p.m. in front of the provincial Capitol building here amid expectations that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would eventually order his ouster.
In a statement, a multi-sectoral group called Kapampanga Kontra Recount (KKR) accused Malacanang of “manipulating” the electoral case.
Last Wednesday, some 30 Kapampangan journalists held a rally at the gate of the Holy Angel University in Angeles City where the President was guest in the blessing of a new chapel. They denounced the killing of mediamen in Maguindanao and the “culture of impunity” in such and other cases committed against journalists under the Arroyo administration.
Another group of some 100 Kapampangan multi-sectoral leaders held last Monday a protest march in the capital denouncing “political patronage” under the Arroyo administration as they also lamented the alleged bias of the Comelec against Panlilio and other politicians identified with the Liberal Party (LP).
“The elections are at hand, yet those with influence and greed for power remain bent to obliterate our true sentiments expressed in the 2007 elections,” said KKR which was first organized to protest the order of the Comelec to recount votes cast in the gubernatorial race in the 2007 polls.
KKR called on Kapampangans to join the nightly prayer vigil and don black ribbons on their shirts and display such ribbons at their homes and on vehicles “to manifest the death of democracy in our province.”
The Comelec’s second division ordered the recount which was finished last September and is expected to be ruled upon anytime with Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer as ponente. Recently, the same division also ruled favorably on electoral cases against Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza and Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca who, like Panlilio, are members of the Liberal Party (LP) who are all seeking reelection.
Their cases were filed by defeated candidates identified with the Arroyo government. In the case of Panlilio, the complainant was Lilia Pineda, known as a close ally and friend of Pres. Arroyo. Pineda, who lost to Panlilio by 1,147 votes in 2007, will again run for governor under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD.
“Now they want to make it appear that we cheated, bought votes, and terrorized in the 2007 elections so they had to recount votes. They are booting out elected officials who go against their crooked minds and deeds. It is clear they are preparing the Capitol for those who want to control Pampanga,” the KKR statement said.
“Should we just let vanish what we had fought and stood for in the 2007 elections?,” it asked.
KKR said “we can never accept the premise that good and true Kapampangans were the ones to bought votes, terrorized, and cheated. Perhaps, this could be better said of those knowledgeable in (lahar sand) quarrying (anomalies) and ‘jueteng’. We will never be cowered by any challenge to our votes by those who are rich and influential.”
It also claimed “it is clear that Malacanang is manipulating things to perpetuate its interests to remain in power.”
“We took pride that in the 2007 elections, we voted freely and we bannered our dignity as Kapampangans. We volunteered to go out and guard our ballots so that our true will would come out. All of us- old, young, the educated and the simple folk, the great ones and the small- helped each other to fight for our dignity as true Kapampangan: free and without any tag price, wise and brave,” the KKR said.
KKR said “black ribbons will symbolize our grief over our dying democracy in Pampanga.”
“Let us keep watch and hold vigil against their evil designs and moves. Let us pray deeply for our beloved province,” it added.
KKR said that the threat to thwart the results of the 2007 elections has ceased to be an issue affecting only Panlilio. “This is now an issue affecting our dignity as free Kapampangans. This is an issue about our being a good and responsible Kapampangans. This is an issue on the sanctity of the ballot and our right to choose who would be our leader.”
During the President’s visit to HAU the other day, Kapampangan youths belonging to the Kabataan partylist, headed by its provincial coordinator Jason Comelio, also issued a statement decrying the visit as “part of her early campaigning for 2010 elections.”
“She would like to make sure she gets the support of all Kapampangans even those who are not from the 2nd district given that various groups and individuals are not in favor of her congressional candidacy and are calling for her to resign. The President’s camp claims that the Kapampangans are the ones who asked for her to run but we, with other progressive and cause-oriented groups are Kapampangans who are outrightly saying that we do not want her here in Pampanga nor in any other position in the government once again,” the statement said.
“ We want her to face all the issues of graft and corruption and human rights violations under her term today and most especially after her term as president,” the statement also said.
Comelio said the President has become “a very bad example to us Kapampangan youth.”
