Press Release

LP slams ‘foul tactics’ against local allies

December 7th, 2009

The administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has resorted to bullying tactics to harass candidates of the Liberal Party in a bid to prevent its impending and embarrassing defeat in the 2010 synchronized elections, party officials decried Monday.

“Lahat ay gagawin ng administrasyon para manatili sa poder. Lahat, gagawin nila para mabawi ang mga dati nilang balwarte (The administration will stop at nothing to stay in power. They will do everything to regain their stranglehold on their old bailiwicks),” said LP President Sen. Mar Roxas, who is also the party’s vice presidential candidate.

He added: “Patuloy na gumagamit ng maruruming taktika ang gobyernong ito upang takutin ang ating mga kandidato. Kitang-kita natin ito sa pagbuhay muli sa mga electoral protest laban sa mga kandidatong kaalyado ng Partido Liberal.(The government continues to use foul tactics, in an attempt to scare our candidates. This motive is very obvious in the revival of electoral protest cases against candidates who are allies with the Liberal party).”

The Visayan senator noted how Malacañang has maneuvered the rushing by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) of the recount in the electoral protests against Pampanga Gov. Among Ed Panlilio, Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca and Bulacan Gov. Jonjon Mendoza.

Panlilio is contesting a recall petition filed with the Comelec by losing gubernatorial bet and former Pampanga provincial board member Lilia Pineda, a known ally of President Arroyo. Pineda had accused Panlilio, a priest-turned-politician, of cheating in the electoral exercise. Panlilio has denied the accusation.

Padaca, on the other hand, has been accused by former Gov. Benjamin Dy of electoral fraud. News reports citing unidentified Comelec sources say the poll body’s second division is set to release its ruling on the complaint tomorrow (Dec. 8) in favor of Dy.

The same Comelec division ruled against Mendoza in relation to the electoral protest filed by losing Bulacan gubernatorial candidate Roberto Pagdanganan. Mendoza is a brother of former Bulacan Gov. Josie dela Cruz, whose Partido del Pilar recently coalesced with the Liberal Party for the 2010 elections.

“Hindi tayo papayag na maghari itong vendetta politics sa buong bansa. Itong mga ‘Islands of Hope’ na nasimulan na ng mga lokal na opisyal na ito ay hindi puwedeng mabawi ng administrasyon ng ganid (We will not allow vendetta politics to reign in the whole country. The ‘Islands of Hope’ that these local officials have established should not be regained by an administration of greed),” Roxas said.

“Ang Partido Liberal ay nasa likod ng mga lokal na opisyal na iniipit ngayon ng administrasyong Arroyo. Ang laban na tapat ay laban ng lahat (The Liberal Party is behind these local officials who are being backed against the wall by the Arroyo administration. The fight for what is right is the fight of all),” Roxas added.

Share this
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • del.icio.us
  • Digg
  • StumbleUpon
  • Tumblr
,
  • http://filipino-tv.blogspot.com/ Ariel R.

    Maybe, it is natural for Sen. Noynoy and Sen. Mar to support Jonjon Mendoza of Bulacan because he is now a “ka-partido”. (Mendoza just recently jumped over the LP fence.) But we in Bulacan, who know the real issue that massive election fraud was committed against Governor Obet Pagdanganan (the real winner of the 2007 Gubernatorial Elections), appeal to Senators Noynoy and Mar TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH before showing their full support to someone who does not represent what their “walang-bahid” team advocates.

    For us who look up to Senators Noynoy and Mar because of their reputation, we were quite disappointed that they can easily side with Mendoza and have even gone to the extent of showing up at the Malolos Capitol as if saying that they can tolerate election cheaters simply because they joined their party.

    It is NOT TRUE that this is happening because Mendoza has joined LP. It is NOT TRUE that Gov. Pagdanganan's case has something to do with political harrassment against LP. This case and the whole process (from the election protest, recounting, Supreme Court ruling up to the Comelec proclamation) has been ongoing long before Mendoza even thought of joining LP. Gov. Pagdanganan does not have the money or power to influence the decision of both the COMELEC 2nd Division and the COMELEC En Banc, or any decision for that matter, unlike Jonjon Mendoza who is now sitting as the Governor AND his sister, 3-termer Josie dela Cruz, whom he succeeded.

    In layman's terms, the real issue is that Gov. Pagdanganan WAS cheated and the COMELEC has proven that fact during the recounting of the ballots. This case was already elevated to the Supreme Court and it has ruled in favor of Pagdanganan. The Supreme Court, then turned it back over to the COMELEC for proper action, who has confirmed and reaffirmed that Pagdanganan is the REAL WINNER because Mendoza has indeed CHEATED! Now, Mendoza is doing his best to cover-up the real situation by giving statements that make it appear that he is the victim.

    We really hope that Senators Noynoy and Mar will be able to dig deeper into the situation in Bulacan and discern allies who are really worthy of their untarnished names. How would they feel if they are the ones cheated? Gov. Pagdanganan is the real victim here. It is very unfortunate that his case is being connected to Padaca and Panlilio's respective cases, and accused of being a part of foul tactics being employed by opponents of the good Senators.

    IBA PO ANG KASO NI GOV. OBET PAGDANGANAN. Sana ay alamin po muna ninyo ang totoo.

blog comments powered by Disqus