CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – An official of the second division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) belied yesterday allegations of bias in electoral cases facing members of the Liberal Party (LP), saying “that is just not possible”.
In an interview with Punto Central Luzon, Edgardo Cervando of the second division’s election controversies and disputes division (ECADD) said that the electoral cases before the Comelec are neither assigned or picked but rather raffled off to either of the poll body’s two divisions.
“It’s just like bingo and the ones who pick the numbers assigned to the cases are not even members of either of the divisions, but rather directors of the Comelec. It just so happens that most of the celebrated cases landed in the second division,” he said.
Among these “celebrated cases” in the hands of the second division are those of Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio who are all members of the LP. The second division recently issued resolutions ousting Mendoza and Padaca in favor of their pro-administration opponents in the 2007 elections.
Panlilio, a former parish priest whose electoral case is up for decision anytime by the same division, said he expected to be the next in line for ouster, even as his lawyer Ernesto Francisco accused second division Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer of bias in the case.
“It seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio,” he said.
The electoral case against Panlilio was filed by former provincial board member Lilia Pineda who ran under the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party but by 1,147 votes. Pineda is known as a close ally of Pres. Arroyo, both of them hailing from Lubao town in this province.
Panlilio, who joined LP only recently, is seeking reelection, again with Pineda as challenger under the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.
Cervando said that he expected the second division to rule on Panlilio’s case anytime, noting that the camps of both parties will be informed beforehand on the promulgation of the ruling. “It seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio.”
The composition of the two Comelec divisions was done according to the poll body’s Resolution No. 7808 promulgated on Jan. 16, 2007. The first division has Rene Sarmiento as Presiding Commissioner with Commissioners Leonardo Leonida and Armando Velasco as members, while the second division has Ferrer presiding with Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusop as members.
Cervando also noted that in the case of Padaca, the second division’s resolution comprising of over 11,000 pages was not “unusual”. Padaca earlier questioned the thick volume on her case, as she suspected it as a ploy to make it difficult for her and her lawyers to immediately file an appeal for reconsideration.
“The volume of such Comelec resolutions contain all revision and appreciation documents, so it is expected to be really substantial,” Cervando said.
Supporters of Panlilio have started daily prayer vigils in front of the provincial capitol building here amid expectations that the Comelec would eventually order his ouster.
In a statement, a multi-sectoral group called Kapampangan Kontra Recount (KKR) accused Malacanang of “manipulating” the electoral case.
Another group of some 100 Kapampangan multi-sectoral leaders, including volunteers of the Noynoy Aquino Movement (NAM) held last Monday a protest march in the capital City of San Fernando denouncing “political patronage” under the Arroyo administration. They also lamented the alleged bias of the Comelec against Panlilio and other politicians identified with the LP.
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.”
In an earlier phone interview, Ferrer expressed confidence that the electoral protest could be resolved even up to the level of the Supreme Court before the May elections next year.
Ferrer noted that majority of similar electoral cases in the past had been decided upon by the high court “before the end of the terms” of concerned elected officials.
He said that he expected his division to finish with the hearings and promulgate its judgement on the case “not later than the end of November.”
“But my most conservative estimate would be by the end of December,” he added, even as he noted that the losing party in the 2nd division’s verdict is expected to appeal the case to the Comelec en banc and, if necessary, before the Supreme Court.
While admitting he had no way of determining how long it would take the Comelec en banc and the Supreme Court to resolve Panlilio’s appeals, Ferrer cited historical records indicating that “majority of similar cases were decided (up to the level of the Supreme Court) before the next elections.”
In an interview with Punto Central Luzon, Edgardo Cervando of the second division’s election controversies and disputes division (ECADD) said that the electoral cases before the Comelec are neither assigned or picked but rather raffled off to either of the poll body’s two divisions.
“It’s just like bingo and the ones who pick the numbers assigned to the cases are not even members of either of the divisions, but rather directors of the Comelec. It just so happens that most of the celebrated cases landed in the second division,” he said.
Among these “celebrated cases” in the hands of the second division are those of Bulacan Gov. Joselito Mendoza, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio who are all members of the LP. The second division recently issued resolutions ousting Mendoza and Padaca in favor of their pro-administration opponents in the 2007 elections.
Panlilio, a former parish priest whose electoral case is up for decision anytime by the same division, said he expected to be the next in line for ouster, even as his lawyer Ernesto Francisco accused second division Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer of bias in the case.
“It seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio,” he said.
The electoral case against Panlilio was filed by former provincial board member Lilia Pineda who ran under the administration Kabalikat ng Mamamayang Pilipino (Kampi) party but by 1,147 votes. Pineda is known as a close ally of Pres. Arroyo, both of them hailing from Lubao town in this province.
Panlilio, who joined LP only recently, is seeking reelection, again with Pineda as challenger under the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party.
Cervando said that he expected the second division to rule on Panlilio’s case anytime, noting that the camps of both parties will be informed beforehand on the promulgation of the ruling. “It seems to me that the objective of the whole thing is to unseat Gov. Panlilio.”
The composition of the two Comelec divisions was done according to the poll body’s Resolution No. 7808 promulgated on Jan. 16, 2007. The first division has Rene Sarmiento as Presiding Commissioner with Commissioners Leonardo Leonida and Armando Velasco as members, while the second division has Ferrer presiding with Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusop as members.
Cervando also noted that in the case of Padaca, the second division’s resolution comprising of over 11,000 pages was not “unusual”. Padaca earlier questioned the thick volume on her case, as she suspected it as a ploy to make it difficult for her and her lawyers to immediately file an appeal for reconsideration.
“The volume of such Comelec resolutions contain all revision and appreciation documents, so it is expected to be really substantial,” Cervando said.
Supporters of Panlilio have started daily prayer vigils in front of the provincial capitol building here amid expectations that the Comelec would eventually order his ouster.
In a statement, a multi-sectoral group called Kapampangan Kontra Recount (KKR) accused Malacanang of “manipulating” the electoral case.
Another group of some 100 Kapampangan multi-sectoral leaders, including volunteers of the Noynoy Aquino Movement (NAM) held last Monday a protest march in the capital City of San Fernando denouncing “political patronage” under the Arroyo administration. They also lamented the alleged bias of the Comelec against Panlilio and other politicians identified with the LP.
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.”
In an earlier phone interview, Ferrer expressed confidence that the electoral protest could be resolved even up to the level of the Supreme Court before the May elections next year.
Ferrer noted that majority of similar electoral cases in the past had been decided upon by the high court “before the end of the terms” of concerned elected officials.
He said that he expected his division to finish with the hearings and promulgate its judgement on the case “not later than the end of November.”
“But my most conservative estimate would be by the end of December,” he added, even as he noted that the losing party in the 2nd division’s verdict is expected to appeal the case to the Comelec en banc and, if necessary, before the Supreme Court.
While admitting he had no way of determining how long it would take the Comelec en banc and the Supreme Court to resolve Panlilio’s appeals, Ferrer cited historical records indicating that “majority of similar cases were decided (up to the level of the Supreme Court) before the next elections.”
