Isabela board ordered: Count ERs

BY JOAN CAPUNA

ILAGAN, Isabela – The Commission in Elections second division has ordered the provincial board of canvassers to reconvene and resume the canvassing of elections returns (ERs) in the gubernatorial race between reelectionist Gov. Grace PAdaca and former governor Benjamin Dy.

`The second division issued the order last week after dismissing Dy’s second petition for the exclusion of some ERs in the towns of Ilagan and Tumauini for alleged “material defects.”

Earlier, the poll body dismissed Dy’s first pre-proclamation case involving ERs from the towns of Delfin Albano, Roxas, Santo Tomas, and Cordon towns which he also wanted to be excluded.

Padaca said the latest division’s order was faxed to the Comelec regional office here over the weekend.

With the second division’s order, Padaca said there was no more reason for the delay in her proclamation.

“With the order, there’s no more room for them (Dy camp) to mislead the public by claiming they won in the lections,” she said.

But Dy remained unperturbed with Padaca’s statement, saying that in the end he would emerge as the governor-elect, reflecting “the true will of Isabelinos.”

The Dy Campo reportedly filed a motion seeking to overturn the second divisions order before the Comelec en Banc.

Padaca, who ran under Sen. Franklin Drilon’s Liberal Party, and Dy, of the administration-backed Nationalist People’s Coalition are both claiming victory.

Dy, brother of former Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. whom Padaca defeated by more that 40,000 votes in the 2004 elections, claimed that based on their own tabulation, he would win by a margin of 3,000 votes.

Before the ERs were brought to the Comelec national office in Manila , Padaca was leading within 219,425 votes against Dy’s 214,150.the figures excluded the results from 182 polling precincts which were the subject of Dy’s petition for exclusion.

“I can only do so much in explaining things to our people about what is happening because I myself do not know when the proclamation will beheld,” Padaca said.

Every day, the 43-year-old Padaca said her province mates were being bombarded with rumors and text messages claiming that Dy would be proclaimed.