CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Gov. Eddie Panlilio told the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday that he is too poor to comply with the poll body’s order for him to come out with 43 “revisors” for the 21 “revision committees” needed for the recount of 2007 votes cast for governor in this province.
In his motion for reconsideration (MR) addressed to the Comelec, Panlilio lamented the failure of the poll body to afford him “the opportunity to be heard on the matter considering his financial capability.”
This, he said, “is tantamount to grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and makes the aforesaid Order contrary to law and a patent nullity.”
The order recount was ordered soon after the 2007 polls by the second division of the Comelec. A temporary restraining order (TRO) against it was finally lifted by the Supreme Court last July 28.
The recount order was an offshoot of the electoral protest filed by provincial board member Lilia Pineda who lost to Panlilio by 1,147 votes in the last gubernatorial polls. Pineda was candidate of the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) while Panlilio, a priest under suspension, was independent.
Last Aug. 4, Panlilio received an order from Comelec asking him to submit the names of one supervising, 21 regular, and 21 alternate revisors for the 21 revision committees before this August 11.
The order said the recount will start on Aug. 13 at the Electoral Contests Adjudication Department (Ecad) of the Comelec in Manila.
Pineda was also asked to comply with such requirement for her part.
The Comelec also required “the parties (Panlilio and Pineda) to submit their typewritten objections every Monday from the start of the revision and for their revisors to sign the Revision Report within seven days from completion of the revision.”
It stressed that “failure to comply herewith shall constitute waiver of the defaulting parties’ right to submit the said objections and to sign the reports.”
“Parties may post two watchers each per shift on a twenty-four hour basis,” the Comelec added.
Panlilio told the Comelec that while its order would be “convenient and can easily and quickly be complied” by Pineda, it would be “absolutely disadvantageous and cannot be complied with by protestee.”
“Unlike protestant Pineda, protestee Panlilio is not in any position and does not have the financial capability and resources, to produce the millions of pesos that will be needed to comply with the aforesaid Order of the Honorable Commission, “ said Panlilio’s MR filed in his behalf by his legal counsels Ernesto Francisco, Sixto Brillantes,and Pedro Quadra.
“Protestee Panlilio was likewise not afforded the chance to air his side on whether or not he can raise the millions of pesos that will be needed,” the MR also said.
In his motion for reconsideration (MR) addressed to the Comelec, Panlilio lamented the failure of the poll body to afford him “the opportunity to be heard on the matter considering his financial capability.”
This, he said, “is tantamount to grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction and makes the aforesaid Order contrary to law and a patent nullity.”
The order recount was ordered soon after the 2007 polls by the second division of the Comelec. A temporary restraining order (TRO) against it was finally lifted by the Supreme Court last July 28.
The recount order was an offshoot of the electoral protest filed by provincial board member Lilia Pineda who lost to Panlilio by 1,147 votes in the last gubernatorial polls. Pineda was candidate of the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) while Panlilio, a priest under suspension, was independent.
Last Aug. 4, Panlilio received an order from Comelec asking him to submit the names of one supervising, 21 regular, and 21 alternate revisors for the 21 revision committees before this August 11.
The order said the recount will start on Aug. 13 at the Electoral Contests Adjudication Department (Ecad) of the Comelec in Manila.
Pineda was also asked to comply with such requirement for her part.
The Comelec also required “the parties (Panlilio and Pineda) to submit their typewritten objections every Monday from the start of the revision and for their revisors to sign the Revision Report within seven days from completion of the revision.”
It stressed that “failure to comply herewith shall constitute waiver of the defaulting parties’ right to submit the said objections and to sign the reports.”
“Parties may post two watchers each per shift on a twenty-four hour basis,” the Comelec added.
Panlilio told the Comelec that while its order would be “convenient and can easily and quickly be complied” by Pineda, it would be “absolutely disadvantageous and cannot be complied with by protestee.”
“Unlike protestant Pineda, protestee Panlilio is not in any position and does not have the financial capability and resources, to produce the millions of pesos that will be needed to comply with the aforesaid Order of the Honorable Commission, “ said Panlilio’s MR filed in his behalf by his legal counsels Ernesto Francisco, Sixto Brillantes,and Pedro Quadra.
“Protestee Panlilio was likewise not afforded the chance to air his side on whether or not he can raise the millions of pesos that will be needed,” the MR also said.
