Wednesday, August 27, 2008 Limlingan: Recall By DP Limlingan The Advocate
MY EARLY morning coffee and puff ritual last Tuesday was marred by a little shock. As I took my second sip of my brewed, I turned-on my television set to get a first glance of the day's news stories and also to monitor an incoming weather disturbance.
In an early "kapamilya" public affairs program I saw Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba being interviewed by Anthony Taberna on the current goings-on in Pampanga on local politics. On the telephone line was Governor Eddie T. Panlilio who seemed to be with a voice with a higher tone than the usual. I saw in Kong Jerry on the other hand the fighting stance that seemed to have armored himself for the brief exchange of issues.
One of the issues that seemed to be as hot as the coffee I had in my cup is the recall process on the governorship of the province after calls for the Governor to resign fell of deaf ears of the provincial leadership.
Just what is the recall process all about?
Recall process is the only mode of the people, particularly the electorates, provided for by Republic Act 7160, for the purpose of removing an elected official from office. Initiating the process is anchored on the premise that the people have lost their confidence in the official they have given the mandate through a prior election.
Previously, the recall process is carried out by a preparatory recall assembly or by the registered voters of the local government unit to which the local elective official subject to such recall belongs. For the provincial level, all mayors, vice mayors and council members of municipalities and component cities shall compose the assembly.
By virtue of Republic Act 9244 and other subsequent amendments instituted by the Comelec (Commission on Elections), the Preparatory Recall Assembly was eliminated as a mode of instituting recall of elective local government officials. A petition for recall may be filed at any time after the assumption to office of the official sought to be recalled, provided it shall be conducted not earlier than one year from the date of the assumption to office of the official concerned and not later than one year immediately preceding the next regular election. Consequently, the recall of any elective provincial, city, municipal or barangay official shall now commence by a petition of a registered voter in the local government unit concerned and supported by other registered voters as supporting petitioners during the election in which the local official sought to be recalled was elected subject to certain percentages depending on the number of population of the province, city, municipality or barangay as the case may be.
The written petition for recall shall then be filed with the Comelec through its field office in the local government unit concerned. It shall bear the name of the main petitioner with his signature and address or his representative if any, the name of the official sought to be recalled and his position and a brief narration of the reasons why they are filing such petition. The Comelec shall then certify to the sufficiency or insufficiency of the form. The publication of the petition and the verification of the signatures of the petitioners then ensue in a verification center. The percentage of petitioners shall likewise be verified and a certification to that effect shall be issued.
Upon the determination of the validity of petition for the recall, the Comelec shall then set a date for the election on recall not later than thirty days from the said determination in case of barangays, cities and municipalities and forty five days in case of a province.
A recall election shall only be made effective only upon the election and proclamation of a successor in the person of the candidate having the highest number of votes cast during the recall election.
Sound to be a grueling and tedious process of removing a local elective official from office. It is. Add to that is the fact that it is expensive.
With the rally staged by the Balas Boys at the Capitol Compound, they are now soliciting signatures from anyone who would like to call for the resignations of Atty. Dabu and now Governor Panlilio. I was informed that a number of signatures in a tarpaulin were raised. Seemed to me like testing the waters on whether a recall election shall be tenable and be supported by the masses.
Other civil society groups are now upstage and in the flow of the tide with those calling for an election on recall. Like a small chunk of snow who happens to roll and fall from a ridge of a snow-capped mountain, the move of some sectors including the "tattooed" boys of the Balas, might escalate into an avalanche that might change the history of local politics in Pampanga.
