CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Gov. Eddie Panlilio sees parallelism between events in his and Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza’s three-year gubernatorial careers and he believes that the parallelism could go on further also with his fate looming similar to Mendoza’s electoral case.
Last Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) came out with a decision saying Roberto Pagdanganan won in the 2007 gubernatorial elections against Mendoza.
This, even as Edgardo Cervando of the Comelec’s election controversies and electoral disputes (ECAD) division told Punto the electoral case filed by former provincial board member Lilia Pineda against Panlilio is expected to be resolved soon by the poll body’s second division.
Panlilio noted that he and Mendoza have been governor for three years and were faced with electoral protests filed by losing candidates known to be close to the Arroyo administration.
“Mendoza also recently moved to the Liberal Party which I also joined only recently,” he said.
He also recalled that both of them were the main whistleblowers in the P500,000 payola scandal that rocked Malacanang a few months after he assumed post in 2007.
Both of their electoral cases were brought before the Comelec’s second division headed by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.
Panlilio said it is possible that recent developments affecting him and Mendoza could be “vendetta” for their joining the LP and their past acts that conflicted with the interests of the administration.
In a three-page resolution, the division directed Mendoza to “immediately vacate the Office of the Provincial Governor of Bulacan; cease and desist from discharging the functions thereof; and peacefully turn over the said office to protestant Pagdanganan.”
It said the recount of the votes showed Pagdanganan obtaining a “winning margin” of 4,321 votes.
Panlilio’s lawyer Ernesto Francisco said he did not expect a “fair ruling” from the Comelec on the case.
“Based on the actuations of Commissioner (Nicodemo) Ferrer from the start, I believe that will not get a fair ruling. I was going along with the process because we had no choice but I personally believe in its integrity,” Francisco told Punto in a text message.
Franciso said “it seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio.”
The case was filed by Pineda who ran under the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party but lost to Panlilio, who ran as independent candidate, by 1,147 votes.
Pineda and Panlilio are again opposing each other in next year’s gubernatorial race. Pineda is running under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, while Panlilio is now with the Liberal Party.
“We expect the three members of the 2nd division to come out with a consensus and then decide who among them will be the ponente. We expect the resolution on the case to be promulgated any time after this,” Cervando said.
Apart from Ferrer, the other members of the 2nd division are Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.
Last Tuesday, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) came out with a decision saying Roberto Pagdanganan won in the 2007 gubernatorial elections against Mendoza.
This, even as Edgardo Cervando of the Comelec’s election controversies and electoral disputes (ECAD) division told Punto the electoral case filed by former provincial board member Lilia Pineda against Panlilio is expected to be resolved soon by the poll body’s second division.
Panlilio noted that he and Mendoza have been governor for three years and were faced with electoral protests filed by losing candidates known to be close to the Arroyo administration.
“Mendoza also recently moved to the Liberal Party which I also joined only recently,” he said.
He also recalled that both of them were the main whistleblowers in the P500,000 payola scandal that rocked Malacanang a few months after he assumed post in 2007.
Both of their electoral cases were brought before the Comelec’s second division headed by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer.
Panlilio said it is possible that recent developments affecting him and Mendoza could be “vendetta” for their joining the LP and their past acts that conflicted with the interests of the administration.
In a three-page resolution, the division directed Mendoza to “immediately vacate the Office of the Provincial Governor of Bulacan; cease and desist from discharging the functions thereof; and peacefully turn over the said office to protestant Pagdanganan.”
It said the recount of the votes showed Pagdanganan obtaining a “winning margin” of 4,321 votes.
Panlilio’s lawyer Ernesto Francisco said he did not expect a “fair ruling” from the Comelec on the case.
“Based on the actuations of Commissioner (Nicodemo) Ferrer from the start, I believe that will not get a fair ruling. I was going along with the process because we had no choice but I personally believe in its integrity,” Francisco told Punto in a text message.
Franciso said “it seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio.”
The case was filed by Pineda who ran under the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party but lost to Panlilio, who ran as independent candidate, by 1,147 votes.
Pineda and Panlilio are again opposing each other in next year’s gubernatorial race. Pineda is running under the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, while Panlilio is now with the Liberal Party.
“We expect the three members of the 2nd division to come out with a consensus and then decide who among them will be the ponente. We expect the resolution on the case to be promulgated any time after this,” Cervando said.
Apart from Ferrer, the other members of the 2nd division are Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph.
