CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Both the lawyer of Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio and the election campaigner of his closest rival, Lilia Pineda, noted time constraints in the recount of votes that the Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the Commission on Elections to proceed with.
For Panlilio’s counsel, Romulo Macalintal, “there was “no more time to recount.”
Comelec chair Jose Melo did not reply when asked if the poll body has time, money and personnel to conduct the recount.
“If ever, it will only be a waste of time and money,” Macalintal said, estimating that the collection of ballot boxes and inventory of election returns and official ballots from 19 towns and a city could take the Comelec a month to do.
The creation of committees might take another month and the actual revision and recount about five months. The review of the ballots by three commissioners of a division would entail a year, he said in a phone interview on Friday.
Votes actually cast in Pampanga during the May 2007 elections totaled 779,100 from out of 1,128,411 registered voters, a check with the provincial poll body showed.
Then, too, more time can be consumed if an aggrieved party takes it appeal to the Comelec en banc and then to the Supreme Court.
“By that time, the 2010 polls would be over and a new or same governor of Pampanga will have been elected,” Macalintal said.
According to Macalintal, the recount case by Pineda serves as a “wake up call for all for the need to automate the polls so protest could be resolved fast via automated recount.”
CLOSURE
Pineda’s campaigner, Rosve Henson, said “time element is another concern.”
“Nevertheless, the protest issue must still be given conclusion,” he said, calling the high court’s order as a “welcome development.”
“For whatever will be the outcome in favor of either party will bring closure to this political issue. It was left unclear because of the electoral protest which has yet to be decided with finality,” Henson said.
In the recount case filed in July 2007, Pineda accused Panlilio and his “cohorts” of vote-buying, vote-padding and vote-shaving and having fake ballots with the name of Panlilio counted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
Panlilio, a Catholic priest, garnered 219,706 votes, notching a margin of 1,147 votes over Pineda’s 218,559 votes. He also filed a case for election fraud against Pineda.
As of Friday, Pineda or her lawyer has not given any statement. She has posted a P4-million check as a requirement for the recount.
BALLOTS
The 4,688 ballot boxes including the election returns and official ballots those contained have remained with the office of the treasurers in the 19 towns and City of San Fernando, according to provincial Comelec supervisor Temie Lambino.
Those have been inventoried right after the 2007 elections, he said.
According to Lambino, the recount will be done at the Comelec central office in Manila, not in Pampanga.
“My responsibility is to transport the ballot boxes and the accountable forms. Nothing more,” he said.
Lambino could not estimate how many revisors and lawyers both camps need for the recount process.
Panlilio said he did not have the money to pay for the services of revisors and lawyers. Macalintal, Francisco, Sixto Brillantes and Pete Quadra are helping him as volunteers.
“I have full confidence in my counsels to handle the situation. Let them do what is to be done. I hope it will work to our advantage. Bu I am just surprised why it came up at a time when people are preparing for the elections,” Panlilio said.
For Panlilio’s counsel, Romulo Macalintal, “there was “no more time to recount.”
Comelec chair Jose Melo did not reply when asked if the poll body has time, money and personnel to conduct the recount.
“If ever, it will only be a waste of time and money,” Macalintal said, estimating that the collection of ballot boxes and inventory of election returns and official ballots from 19 towns and a city could take the Comelec a month to do.
The creation of committees might take another month and the actual revision and recount about five months. The review of the ballots by three commissioners of a division would entail a year, he said in a phone interview on Friday.
Votes actually cast in Pampanga during the May 2007 elections totaled 779,100 from out of 1,128,411 registered voters, a check with the provincial poll body showed.
Then, too, more time can be consumed if an aggrieved party takes it appeal to the Comelec en banc and then to the Supreme Court.
“By that time, the 2010 polls would be over and a new or same governor of Pampanga will have been elected,” Macalintal said.
According to Macalintal, the recount case by Pineda serves as a “wake up call for all for the need to automate the polls so protest could be resolved fast via automated recount.”
CLOSURE
Pineda’s campaigner, Rosve Henson, said “time element is another concern.”
“Nevertheless, the protest issue must still be given conclusion,” he said, calling the high court’s order as a “welcome development.”
“For whatever will be the outcome in favor of either party will bring closure to this political issue. It was left unclear because of the electoral protest which has yet to be decided with finality,” Henson said.
In the recount case filed in July 2007, Pineda accused Panlilio and his “cohorts” of vote-buying, vote-padding and vote-shaving and having fake ballots with the name of Panlilio counted by the Board of Election Inspectors.
Panlilio, a Catholic priest, garnered 219,706 votes, notching a margin of 1,147 votes over Pineda’s 218,559 votes. He also filed a case for election fraud against Pineda.
As of Friday, Pineda or her lawyer has not given any statement. She has posted a P4-million check as a requirement for the recount.
BALLOTS
The 4,688 ballot boxes including the election returns and official ballots those contained have remained with the office of the treasurers in the 19 towns and City of San Fernando, according to provincial Comelec supervisor Temie Lambino.
Those have been inventoried right after the 2007 elections, he said.
According to Lambino, the recount will be done at the Comelec central office in Manila, not in Pampanga.
“My responsibility is to transport the ballot boxes and the accountable forms. Nothing more,” he said.
Lambino could not estimate how many revisors and lawyers both camps need for the recount process.
Panlilio said he did not have the money to pay for the services of revisors and lawyers. Macalintal, Francisco, Sixto Brillantes and Pete Quadra are helping him as volunteers.
“I have full confidence in my counsels to handle the situation. Let them do what is to be done. I hope it will work to our advantage. Bu I am just surprised why it came up at a time when people are preparing for the elections,” Panlilio said.
