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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Panlilio seeks dismissal of recall petition
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -– Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio asked Monday the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to deny the recall petition filed against him by the Kapanalig at Kambilan ning Memalen Pampanga (Kambilan).
In a 34-page petition filed before Comelec chairman Jose Melo, Panlilio said the recall petition was “insufficient” and could not really materialize into a recall election.
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“Insufficient in the sense that ‘loss of confidence’ is not the entire basis for a recall to take place. Aside from this, 15,000 signatures in the recall petition were found to be not within the list of the voters in 2007,” Panlilio said.
The priest-turned-politician filed his answer to the recall petition before the Comelec office Monday morning with his supporters from local religious organizations and the civil society group Kasaup.
The governor also seeks for the issuance of a temporary restraining order and/or writ of preliminary injunction against the Kambilan initiated recall petition.
Panlilio said the petition filed by Kambilan is “fatally defective.”
“An examination of the said petition for recall will show that the signature sheets do not contain the required brief narration of the reasons and justifications for the filing of the petition (for recall).”
The “signature sheets” of the petition merely states the following and nothing else: “Reason/s For Recall: Loss of Confidence (Wala Ng Tiwala/Milako na Kami Tiwala),” Panlilio said.
“The recall petition is premature and barred by the election protest filed by defeated gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda,” Panlilio said, adding that to allow the recall to proceed would circumvent the status quo ante order issued by the Supreme Court (SC) en banc, which enjoined the Comelec from proceeding with the conduct of revision and preempt the ruling on the election protest.
Panlilio said he has achieved good performance in the quarry collection, removal of corruption in government biddings, and in good governance policies at the Capitol. Despite this, he said he is being recalled because of his good governance policies that do not fit well with certain government officials.
Last October 15, Kambilan filed the recall petition against Panlilio at the provincial Comelec office in Pampanga. The group submitted about 224,875 signatures to the poll body.
In its complaint, Kambilan president Rosve Henson said: "Panlilio is being subjected to recall primarily for loss of confidence occasioned by his gross violation of the pertinent provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, the Civil Service Law (Republic Act 6713), and grave misconduct in office."
Henson on Monday said it is within Panlilio’s right and prerogative to file the motion as he is the official being sought for a recall.
“That is part of the judicial process. It will all be up to the Comelec to make the final decision on the petition,” Henson said.
As for the 15,000 signatures not within the voters list in 2007, Henson said the signatures they have gathered are still enough to meet the 10 percent signature requirement of the law.
“This is my opinion, at any rate the number of signatories is still much more than the required minimum of 95,000 signatures. It is still the Comelec that will decide on the sufficiency in form and substance of the recall petition,” he added.
The provincial Comelec office has already forwarded the recall petition to the Comelec en banc in Manila. (Ian Ocampo Flora/Sun.Star Pampanga/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cebu. (October 28, 2008 issue)
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