Pagdanganan 'assumes' governorship in Bulacan

MALOLOS CITY , Philippines  - Bulacan Gov. Roberto Pagdanganan assumed office yesterday after the provincial election supervisor posted the writ of execution on the wall of the capitol building, which was the heavily guarded as supporters of ousted Gov. Joselito Mendoza barricaded the area.

Mendoza refused to turn over his office as hundreds of his supporters blocked the entrance to the building in an attempt to buy more time as his lawyers filed a petition before the Supreme Court.

“Officially, I am now the governor of Bulacan,” Pagdanganan told hundreds of his supporters who gathered at the capitol’s mini-forest park here.

He later proceeded to the Gat Blas F. Ople building where he will temporarily hold office until Mendoza leaves the capitol.

The building houses the provincial museum and the Provincial Sports, Education, Arts and Culture Office (PYSEACO), but when Pagdanganan entered the establishment there was no one in the building except a few police officers and members of the capitol civil security unit.

Pagdanganan’s supporters removed the framed photograph of Mendoza at the Ople building and the new governor advised his supporters not to destroy the picture.

During the press conference, Pagdanganan announced the appointment of lawyer Jose Cruz as the new provincial administrator, former Pulilan councilor Eric Castro as his chief of staff, and Roberto Paulino as chief of security.

For his first order of the day, Pagdanganan announced that he has issued memorandums for the reversion of the Calumpit Maternity Hospital into Calumpit District Hospital. He later ordered the removal of barricades at the capitol grounds.

Pagdanganan said that he issued a memorandum to Malolos City Mayor Danilo Domingo and the Provincial Engineering Office (PEO) for the removal of the blockade.

He also issued another memorandum to all department heads of the provincial government to conduct an inventory of programs, facilities and budget of the capitol.

Meantime, Mendoza filed yesterday a petition at the Supreme Court (SC) seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the Comelec from implementing its resolution that declared Pagdanganan as the winner in the 2007 gubernatorial race. – With Sheila Crisostomo, Edu Punay, Ric Sapnu