Business as usual at Bulacan capitol amid political standoff

MALOLOS, Bulacan - "I am still the governor of Bulacan. Due process should come first before the decision, not the other way around," embattled Bulacan Governor Joselito “Jon-jon" Mendoza said on Thursday before his supporters who have camped out at the provincial capitol grounds. The unseated governor reiterated his vow to hold on to his office while appealing the Commission on Elections’ recount which showed that former Agrarian Reform Sec. Roberto Pagdanganan won in the 2007 gubernatorial elections. Despite the political standoff between Mendoza and Pagdanganan’s camps, business remained as usual at the Bulacan provincial capitol. Mendoza, who said his lawyers were going to the Supreme Court to prevent the Comelec decision from being carried out, still attended to the transactions at his office. The Comelec unseated Mendoza after a recount showed that he obtained only 337,974 votes while his rival Pagdanganan received 342,295 votes—a margin of 4,321 votes in his rival’s favor.
For the latest Philippine news stories and videos, visit GMANews.TV Security remained tight at the capitol grounds, with police making sure that Mendoza and Pagdanganan’s supporters were separated from each other to avoid tension. Tension reached fever-pitch last Wednesday night after Pagdanganan arrived with his supporters at the capitol compound. He then forced his way through a police barricade and entered the Blas Ople Building, the provincial capitol building. Pagdanganan insisted he should take over as governor, but Mendoza remained firm in not vacating his office. Mendoza’s supporters also protested the Comelec ruling and barricaded the area in front of the capitol with two trucks. They also conducted a prayer vigil at the provincial plaza. Pagdanganan eventually left the capitol on Wednesday night, and returned before Thursday noon. ’100 percent support’ Tension diffused on Thursday even if the prayer vigil was ongoing. Mendoza who met with capitol department heads earlier in the day, addressed his yellow-clad supporters: “Lahat ng mayors ko andito. Pati kapitan ng barangay. Nasa atin ang suporta. Eh yung mga tao ni Obet (Pagdanganan’s nickname) kagabi, noong umalis siya, umalis na rin sila lahat." (All my mayors are here. Even the barangay captains are here. We have the support. But Obet’s supporters left with him when he left last night.) Perly Mendoza, the provincial administrator, said all capitol department heads have also expressed full support for Mendoza. “We are a hundred percent [for] Jon-jon," she said. Fake government? Clad in green, Pagdanganan later arrived at the capitol grounds. Addressing his own supporters, Pagdanganan said Mendoza’s government was a “fake" one. He added that he has a copy of the Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG) directive reinstating him as governor. The DILG order likewise restrained Mendoza from making any transactions as Bulacan governor, Pagdanganan said. Pagdanganan, who had a thin crowd of supporters compared to Mendoza, criticized his rival and said he was “sinungaling, kapit-tuko, and corrupt (liar, a clinger to power, and corrupt). His supporters then chanted, “Tunay na gobernador (the true governor), Obet Pagdanganan! Bagong bayani (the new hero), Obet Pagdanganan!" - with Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMANews.TV