Fund-raising starts for Pampanga vote recount

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga , Philippines   – The Pam­panga Christian Ministers Council has launched a fund-raising campaign to support the cost of honoraria for the revisors who are helping guard the votes cast by Kapampangans who voted for Gov. Eddie Panlilio in the 2007 elections.

The “Piso-pisong Ambag para sa Recount” has collected P25,000 on its first day on Saturday, according to PCMC “mission keeper” Pastor Joy Pongco.

“One peso is the minimum amount. The P25,000 was contributed by old and young folk alike,” Pongco said.

She said the amount was turned over to Pan­lilio also on Saturday. The governor needs P75,000 daily to pay the revisors.

Pongco said the PCMC is taking the fund-raising drive in allied churches in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

“It is going to be a national fund-raising campaign,” she said. “We’re doing this because our vision of Pampanga is it is God-centered and a model for unity. When we voted for Among Ed, it was a step to bring back dignity to our province and the Kapampangans.”

Pongco said the campaign is for the “Lord and Pampanga and not only for Among Ed.”

“In 2007, God helped us do a miracle. We had an alternative candidate in Among Ed, we voted with integrity and by God’s grace, we had a miracle,” she said.

She said the recount, which the Commission on Elections started on Aug. 12 based on the case filed by former Board Member Lilia Pineda is “an insult to God.” Pineda lost to Panlilio by 1,147 votes in the last elections.

“We did not cheat when we campaigned and voted for Among Ed. The recount is also taking away the hope we have been spreading in Pampanga and other provinces through the good governance crusade. With what we did during the elections and the responsible citizenship programs we have been doing, we have shown puede pala ang change (change is possible),” Pongco said.

“We will not take the recount sitting down,” Pongco added.

The Kapampangan Kontra Recount (K2R) is organizing a motorcade-rally to the Comelec in Intramuros in Manila on Aug. 22 or a day after the death anniversary of freedom martyr Sen. Be­nigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr.

K2R spokesperson Arnel Manliclic said the protest aims to express indignation to the sham recount.

“It is an exact replica of an election protest filed by the lawyer of Mrs. Pineda in Batangas. She filed a protest at the Comelec without raising questions with the Board of Elecction Inspectors during the counting and canvassing,” Manliclic noted.

Also, he said the recount has “no integrity” because the ballot boxes were not secured in proper places while these were in the custody of local treasurers and several of the boxes did not have metallic seals or padlocks or both.

“We are forced to deal with the recount under these conditions and despite us, or Among Ed having no money,” Manliclic said, thanking PCMC for helping out in the fund-raising campaign. The PCMC accepts donations through its Union Bank savings account number 100230031527 in San Agustin Branch, City of San Fernando, Pampanga.