MANILA-- Supporters of the incumbent Bulacan Governor Joselito Mendoza barricaded Wednesday the Capitol against the protestant Robert Pagdanganan and his group.
This after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has proclaimed Pagdanganan as the true winner of the 2007 elections for governor in the province.
In December last year Pagdanganan appealed to Mendoza for "a peaceful transfer of authority and power."
"There will be no violence this (Wednesday) afternoon in the Capitol," he said in a television interview Wednesday.
However, Mendoza filed a motion for reconsideration earlier regarding the Comelec en banc decision after the recount of votes.
Out of seven members of the Comelec en banc, three voted for Pagdanganan while one for Mendoza and four abstained or no vote. Upon the rule of majority, Mendoza argued that Pagdanganan didn't win either because "he (Pagdanganan) has to achieve the four votes."
Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, in a television interview, said the Comelec was wrong for saying that the decision (Pagdanganan's victory over en banc) is executory. He said since none has achieved the majority vote, there should be a rehearing before issuing the decision.
Macalintal said that in case the rehearing would result to the same votes, Mendoza now has the option to forward the case to the Supreme Court. (Sunnex)