Pagdanganan wins in electoral protest: Mendoza vows to fight

MANILA, Philippines - The Second Division of the Commission on Elections ruled yesterday that former Bulacan governor Roberto Pagdanganan was the duly elected governor of the province in the 2007 mid-term polls.

In a three-page resolution, Second Division presiding Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer and Commissioners Lucenito Tagle and Elias Yusoph have directed Gov. Joselito Mendoza to “immediately vacate the Office of the Provincial Governor of Bulacan; cease and desist from discharging the functions thereof; and peacefully turn over the said office to protestant Pagdanganan.”

The commissioners noted that after recounting the votes bagged by Pagdanganan and Mendoza, it turned out that the former obtained a “winning margin” of 4,321 votes.

Records showed that Pagdanganan garnered a total of 342,295 votes against Mendoza’s 337,974 votes after the recount.

In a press briefing, Pagdanganan claimed that Mendoza was proclaimed winner in the 2007 polls after supposedly garnering 15,000 votes over him. Mendoza purportedly got 364,566 votes.

But Pagdanganan had filed an electoral protest before the Comelec, paving the way for the recount. “Right from the start, I was confident that I was the elected governor of Bulacan. This decision of the Comelec proves me right.”

Pagdanganan added that while he expects Mendoza to question the ruling by filing a motion for reconsideration with Comelec, he would lodge a motion for “execution pending appeal” to have his rival unseated soon.

“I’m confident that I can assume the post before the term expires next years. With the time left for me (as governor) I can still do so many things for the people of Bulacan,” he said.

Mendoza to defend post

Showing open defiance, Mendoza vowed to defend his post at all cost, leaving doors of the provincial capitol locked, and blamed political opponents including Malacañang of conspiring to oust him.

This came as the Comelec Second Division yesterday released a decision on the election protest in favor of Pagdanganan.

The ruling states that Mendoza should vacate his post as governor to give way to Pagdanganan who won by 4,321 votes in the 2007 gubernatorial race, after his election protest.

“I will exhaust all means and courses of action within the bounds of the law to prove our cause,” said Mendoza noting that he clearly won by 15,732 votes over Pagdanganan in the 2007 elections.

He reiterated that he never cheated and will never cheat.

Mendoza also vowed to file a motion for reconsideration to the Comelec which he said will take a while for the commission to decide.

Lawyer Sabino Mejarito, the elections supervisor in Bulacan explained to The STAR that after Mendoza shall have filed a motion, it will be decided by the Comelec.

“Whatever the decision of the en banc, it will surely be elevated to the Supreme Court for temporary restraining order or petition for certiorari,” Mejarito said.

Padlocked

As this developed, at least six doors of the provincial capitol building has been unusually locked since yesterday.

Mendoza said that it was for security measures noting that he has been receiving threats.

When asked by The STAR to clarify the threats he received, Mendoza said, “matagal na mga threats na natatanggap ko. Sabi ay uubusin ang pamilya ko, at meron ding nagsasabing ite-take over ang kapitolyo.”

He also blamed the family of Rep. Lorna Silverio and some officials in Malacañang for conspiring to oust him.

“Naniniwala ako na may kinalaman dito ang mga Silverio at mga opisyal ng Malacañang kaya napabilis ang paglabas ng decision ng Comelec,” he said.

He also claimed that the Silverios headed by industrialist Ricardo Silverio used their influence and money to fast-track the Comelec’s decision. 

However, a source from the Silverio camp who asked not to be named said that Mendoza is doing a blame game.