The Pampanga Governorship
By Daddy Neil
@neildc (17239)
Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
February 22, 2010 1:26am CST
For three years, Gov. Ed Panlilio, the Priest-Turned-Governor of Pampanga, served the people of the said province.
Just before the May 2010 Elections, Comelec declared the other losing candidate, Lilia Pineda as the winner, after he filed a petition for a recount. And just this Friday, reports said that the former Governor Mark Lapid who is also among the losers, actually won the recount.
Pineda still awaits for the final order from the Comelec or the Court to take the seat.
Panlilio still seats at the capitol, also waiting for the order.
Lapid on the other, though winning in the recount, cannot take the position because he never filed his own version of the petition for recount, so his votes was not considered in the recount.
This is another "Only in the Philippines" happening.
Would you agree? Or do you also have something unusual incident that happened in the place where you are now?
2 people like this
5 responses
@rsa101 (37952)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Yeah I guess Ed Panlilio being in the Province where the president is expected to be an obedient follower but he was not a good follower of the President. So I guess it is pretty obvious that the administration would do something as desperate as this move to get their way on how the province would go. I am saddened that a good governor could be used and abused by corrupt and powerful people.
@rsa101 (37952)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Yeah and from many of these cases you can find a pattern that most of these politicians are really those identified as not close to the palace. Dy and Panlilio are staunch critics of the present administration. The present administration are not able to put them in any justifiable cause for them to be taken off their office. The only thing they can do is to question the Comelec on the count of votes because it is in that part they can manipulate easily to sway in their favor. If you would also notice most of the cases that won was in favor of administration candidates that lost in the election. Is this a sign that administration is trying to control areas they think they would lost in this coming election? If they can control these provinces they could easily manipulate the votes. GMA may be out but she still is in control of everything. If the government would change this election this would mean that even GMA wins the elections probes against her would continue to hamper her and might not be in favor. So as early as this point she is trying to put in power those that are allied with her to assure a smooth exit to presidency.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Feb 10
but i don't think this is the only reason why it should be panlilio. it's not in pampanga alone where the capitol is at stake right now, even isabela (dy - padaca) and bulacan (pagdanganan - mendoza). if we give the reason of gma's bid for congress, it cannot be the same for the other two as she has nothing to do with them, she will never have in any point be related with them once she is voted congresswoman or she could not be expecting bulacan or isabela's votes to win the congressional seat.
1 person likes this
@keisey (181)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Something that we CANNOT be PROUD of, if I may say. The Philippine politics has its flaws but those make it more interesting to study it. What will happen in the country after the 2010 elections? Do we still have a chance to progress? Will we have a new form of government? These are just questions that are to be answered we do not know when. The case in Pampanga also happened in Isabela between Dy and Padaca and in some other provinces as well. There was even an incident shown in the news before where the incumbent was literally carried out of his office because it was resolved that he did not win the elections.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Feb 10
same thing happened in my home town bulacan. do you think the present leader has something to do with these happenings? i remember they were former allies of the palace. 
@jlamela (4898)
• Philippines
23 Feb 10
Philippines is the only country in the world which always gave its verdict of the recounts just months before the next election. I find this very appalling, why it took several years before this decision reached? It is as good as saying better not to file for recounts and just spent your money to the election campaign and challenge your opponent.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
23 Feb 10
and yes, what's the use of winning the recount, when you only have 2 or 3 months to serve the people? i really can't see the logic.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
Hello neildc,
You are very right. this is only in the Philippines and this is sad because three people are fighting for a position that is going to vacate this coming may or is it? they should have just let panlilio stay in the governance and let the new person take charge of this position after the elections.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Feb 10
that is something that i also thinking of, why not let may comes and see who will be the next person to lead the province. i think they just wasted lots of money on that. i just kinda suspicious on why it has to be this time, when the next elections is coming.
@danitykane (3183)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
hi neildc,
Yup! "only in the Philippines"...hihi! Is that where PGMA filed her candidacy to run for governor? 
I'm a bit confused right now, does it mean both Gov. Mark and Gov. Ed are disqualified? LOL. That's crazy.
Is that where PGMA filed her candidacy to run for governor? I'm a bit confused right now, does it mean both Gov. Mark and Gov. Ed are disqualified? LOL. That's crazy.@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Feb 10
yes danity, pampanga is where pgma will seek another position in the province, but not for the capitol seat, it's for the house of representatives. i heard, even on the second day alone of the counting of votes in 2007, lapid already accepts his lost to panlilio. lapid now heads the phil. tourism, if i am not mistaken, and will not seek for another election this year. lapid did not file his petition for recount, that's why even if he won in the recount, he could not take oath as governor. panlilio still waits for the order from court, to vacate the capitol. i am not sure if panlilio will run for another term this year. only in the philippines. 
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
22 Feb 10
I have a friend there and she told me this situation in her province. it's confusing really, if the governorship position is about to be vacate in may how come they are still fighting for this position. it's unthinkable.
@neildc (17239)
• Lapu-Lapu City, Philippines
22 Feb 10
@letran that is really something we have that we can say, "only in the Philippines". actually, it's neighboring province, my home province bulacan has similar situation right now. 2007 election declared governor jonjon mendoza is also under siege when comelec declared obet pagdangan in the recount. and the other one, up north in cagayan, gov. padaca is also lost in the recount. unthinkable? well, i suspect these has something to do with the coming elections and there is someone so powerful that manipulated or just trying to put them down. i guess, people who were with them before but is now against them.
these has something to do with the coming elections and there is someone so powerful that manipulated or just trying to put them down. i guess, people who were with them before but is now against them.