Thursday, February 21, 2008 Malig: It's 2-2 in Nanay Baby-Among Ed bout By Jun A. Malig Cognition
THE first round was won by Catholic priest Eddie "Among Ed" Panlilio shortly after the May 14, 2007 gubernatorial election.
He garnered 219,706 votes, while former Board Member Lilia "Nanay Baby" Pineda got only 218,559 votes -- a slim difference of 1,147 votes. (Reelectionist governor Mark Lapid was third place with 210,875 votes.)
The second round was won by Pineda. On July 23 last year, the second division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) favored the former board member's petition for the recount of the ballots from all the 4,847 precincts.
The third round also belonged to Pineda. The Comelec en banc upheld last February 6 the second division's decision.
The poll body ordered the immediate transfer of the ballot boxes from Pampanga's chartered city and 20 towns to its warehouse in Manila for recount. Panlilio won the fourth round.
Last Monday, February 18, the Supreme Court (SC) en banc issued a status quo order prohibiting the Comelec from transferring the ballots to Manila while the justices deliberate on the merit or shortcomings of Panlilio's petition to nullify Comelec's recount order.
The high tribunal has given the Comelec and Pineda 10 days to file their respective comments on the priest-turned-governor's petition.
It's hard to tell how many more rounds we have to wait before the issue on governorship is settled with finality. One thing is sure, though. Every Kapampangan wants a final resolution to this case.
Although, political fatigue is advantageous to some politicians, electoral controversies are unwelcome developments for many Pampanga folk -- at least in between election seasons.
As a journalist, I heard talks and receive contrasting information about Governor Panlilio, former Board Member Pineda, and the political issues between them. Some are obviously biased. Some are mere opinions injected with "hopes" or optimism.
Some lack the necessary angles to be deemed credible. Some are based on facts, figures, and legality. Some are based on morality and idealism. Some are based on what many perceive as the reality in our political, electoral, and justice system.
Of course, the pitch of information depends on the political leaning of the source or the speaker.
Of course, it's just hard to remain neutral, especially for those who exercised their right to vote for their chosen gubernatorial candidate in the last elections.
When the whole pie of Kapampangan votes was divided three-ways between Panlilio, Pineda, and Lapid, it was obvious that Pampanga was divided.
Less than 50 percent of the folk who cast their votes in the last elections wanted Panlilio to become their governor. A little lesser percentage wanted Pineda's leadership. A lesser further wanted to retain Lapid at the Capitol.
Electoral statistics are very clear. Perhaps these clearly show the reason why the desired political peace, in its real sense, seems to be so hard to achieve.
Perhaps only those who voted for Lapid remain neutral in the ongoing political tussle in provincial leadership.
