Supreme Court junks Panlilio appeal vs vote recount

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga , Philippines   – Gov. Ed Panlilio has lost his bid to stop the recounting of votes in the 2007 Pampanga gubernatorial elections after the Supreme Court denied his motion to reconsider its ruling upholding the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

Ernesto Francisco, one of Panlilio’s lawyers, warned that the SC decision would pave the way for “moneyed but losing candidates” to file “sham, pro forma or copied petitions” for recount and spend money “to ensure that the outcome of the election would be reversed.”

“At the rate this protest case is being disposed of and with the resources of the Pinedas and the clout of Malacañang combined, they might just succeed,” he said.

Francisco said that he received yesterday the SC decision, dated July 28, which dismissed Panlilio’s motion for reconsideration.

Romulo Macalintal, another Panlilio lawyer, said the electoral protest would eventually be overtaken by next year’s elections.

Provincial Comelec supervisor Temmie Lambino said he was prepared to transport ballot boxes from 4,836 precincts in 20 towns and one city in Pampanga as soon as he gets the go signal from the Comelec central office in Manila.

‘Panlilio cannot win presidential race’

Panlilio has no chance of winning the presidential elections next year, according to one of his lawyers.

Speaking at the weekly Friday Balitaan sa Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City, Macalintal said Panlilio was ill advised when he announced his plan to run for president.

Macalintal said Panlilio might have been overwhelmed by his popularity that he decided to take a shot at the presidency.

“Popularity does not mean victory,” he said.

His service to Panlilio is limited to the election protest before the Comelec, he added.

Macalintal said as a full-fledged politician, Panlilio is no longer a man of the Word, but has become a man of the world.

“He is no longer a priest running as president, and I will treat him like an ordinary politician, not the same treatment accorded before,” he said.

However, Panlilio can seek re-election as governor of Pampanga to prove that he still has the people’s mandate, Macalintal said. – With Perseus Echeminada