Comelec prohibits Dy, Pagdanganan from assuming posts

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday prohibited Benjamin Dy and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Roberto Pagdanganan from assuming the governorship in Isabela and Bulacan, respectively, at least until the poll body has resolved the appeals filed by their unseated rivals. In separate resolutions, the Comelec denied the motions for execution pending motion for reconsideration filed by Dy and Pagdangan regarding the decision of the poll body's second division last December to unseat Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Bulacan Governor Joselito Mendoza. Comelec chairman Jose Melo told reporters that the poll body had unanimously voted that Dy be barred from assuming the governorship in Isabela, at least until they have given a final say on the reversal of the votes in his favor. "We all agreed that the execution should not be ordered considering 17,000 votes yung inalis kay (were removed from) Padaca. Masyadong malaki ang reversal (The reversal is too big)," he said. In 2007, it was declared that Padaca, a 2008 Ramon Magsaysay awardee, won over Dy by 17,007 votes. But after an appreciation of the votes last December, the second division said the true tally of votes should be 199,435 for Dy and 198,384 for Padaca, or a winning margin of 1,051 in favor of the former. "Dy’s victory in the 2007 provincial elections has not yet been clearly established. A margin of only 1,051 votes does not cement protestant Dy’s position especially so in the face a of a pending motion for reconsideration which prays for the re-evaluation of the Second Division’s findings," the poll body said in the resolution. Split decision The Comelec, this time in a split decision, had likewise ruled that it cannot grant the motion filed by Pagdangan until it has resolved the motion for reconsideration filed by Mendoza. Mendoza was unseated after the Comelec second division said a recount showed that the Pagdanganan got 342,295 votes in 2007 compared to Mendoza’s 337,974 votes. Melo said that they do not "necessarily" doubt the decisions made by the second division, which is chaired by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer. He did say, however, that it is better to wait for a final review of the cases before implementing the motions. "Siguro gusto pang pag-aralan ng iba, yung mga merits (Maybe they just want to study the cases more, the merits)," he said. Earlier, the Liberal Party slammed the Arroyo administration for what it called "vendetta politics" against at least three of the party’s governors: Mendoza, Padaca, and Ed Panlilio of Pampanga. The Comelec second division, however, has yet to rule on the protest against Panlilio filed by Lilia Pineda, an administration ally. Both Padaca and Panlilio vowed to support LP’s standard bearer, Sen. Benigno “Noynoy" Aquino III in the May elections while Mendoza was unseated after his Partido del Pilar coalesced with LP for the 2010 polls. Ferrer, however, had said that the recount cases were all filed even before they joined the LP. - RSJ/KBK, GMANews.TV