Ángeles and San Fernando Cities, and Pampanga Province

[ivanhenares]

As of 5:15 p.m., based on municipal canvassing (43.61% complete):
PANLILIO - 171,480
LAPID - 160,670
PINEDA - 160,214

[ivanhenares]

Originally Posted by Jhaelnis

Pineda is leading in San Fernando City as of the latest NAMFREL Quick Count.

On the contrary, Among Ed's biggest lead is in San Fernando (as of 5:15 p.m.)
PANLILIO - 31,103
LAPID - 17,219
PINEDA - 17,117

It's a really divided race with Mark Lapid poised to win the most towns such as Mabalacat, Arayat and Porac. But the leads are so slim in most. Fr. Ed has quality wins in many towns and is tied with Lilia Pineda in Sta. Rita.

Here are the balwartes:

Minalin
PANLILIO - 5,796
LAPID - 2,437
PINEDA - 2,904

Guagua
PANLILIO - 12,310
LAPID - 4,257
PINEDA - 5,793

Lubao
PANLILIO - 4,008
LAPID - 3,366
PINEDA - 15,417

Porac
PANLILIO - 6,129
LAPID - 12,762
PINEDA - 9,656

as of 5:15 p.m.

[ivanhenares]

Just heard the fireworks. It's official for San Fernando, Mayor Oscar S. Rodriguez and Vice-Mayor Edwin Santiago were reelected.

[ivanhenares]

Pampanga’s Panlilio personifies hope for RP politics
Posted May 15, 2007 20:29:00(Mla Time)

Inquirer
Volt Contreras

MANILA, Philippines -- Voters in Pampanga who have rooted for gubernatorial candidate Fr. Eddie Panlilio obviously liked what they saw -- or what they didn't see -- in this gutsy Roman Catholic priest.

Behind the priestly garb, they didn't see any vested interests, according to political analysts and civil society leaders who marveled at Panlilio's performance in early, unofficial tallies of the May 14 elections.

“They obviously saw no self-interest in (his running),'' noted fellow clergyman and Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Fr. Joaquin Bernas, when asked what has enabled Panlilio to hold his own against two formidable opponents in the Central Luzon province.

The priest is battling it out with incumbent Governor Mark Lapid, son of former Pampanga governor, senator and now Makati mayoral candidate Lito Lapid; and Provincial Board Member Lilia Pineda, wife of suspected “jueteng” lord Bong Pineda.

Panlilio's entry into politics has not only raised questions of whether the constitutionally drawn line separating Church and State has begun to blur in Pampanga. It was also seen as a bold, if not quixotic challenge to the well-funded machinery and clout of the Lapids and Pinedas, both allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

A victory by Panlilio against such odds would signify that “his community is standing up and has had enough,” said Dinky Soliman, former social welfare secretary and now a staunch critic of the Arroyo administration.

Whether Panlilio wins or not, Soliman said, “he has come out as one of the best examples of the new Philippine politics, one who challenged the worst of old Philippine politics.''

“He is showing that you can win without guns, goons, gold, and `Garci',” she said, referring to the massive election-rigging operations that allegedly occurred in the May 2004 presidential election.

“He represents a zone of energy, a pocket of hope in Philippine politics,'' Soliman added.

Being a priest per se may not even be the most crucial factor behind Panlilio's appeal to the electorate, she said.

“It's the life he has spent with the poor,'' Soliman surmised, noting that Panlilio has been known for his missions for small farmers and the indigenous Aeta tribesmen since the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in 1991.

Mike Luz, a former education undersecretary and now president of the International Institute of Rural Reconstruction, said Panlilio “would completely turn around everything'' should he win.

“Being anti-machinery, anti-patronage, it will be a statement about everything that is wrong in the province,'' he said. “It suggests that the people must be sick and tired of traditional politics. They must be saying now that `we are not stupid and we know what has been going on'.''

But Bernas shared some curious observations and words of caution about Panlilio's feat.

How come, he asked, it had to take a priest to run for office for the electorate to respond to calls for honest public service and good governance?

“Why can't a lay person do it as well?'' the Jesuit wondered aloud.

Bernas, an expert on the constitution, also maintained that Panlilio's accomplishments on the public, secular stage should not be taken as “a work of the Church, but the work of the people."

"It should not be said here that the Church got involved in politics,'' Bernas said.

He noted that Panlilio “temporarily sacrificed'' his priesthood, suspended his performance of the Sacraments, and waged his campaign without using Church resources.

Bernas doubted whether Panlilio's case, which he described as “extraordinary'', would encourage more priests to run for public office.

Panlilio wasn’t alone in challenging the status quo.

In the senatorial races, three Kapatiran candidates -- Zosimo Paredes, Martin Bautista, and Adrian Sison -- ran on the platform of moral, ''God-centered'' governance.

They have made their presence felt in middle-class neighborhoods -- and in media -- but unlike Panlilio, who is showing an early lead over his rivals, the Kapatiran candidates have not landed even inside the Top 20.

Luz, who said he voted for the trio, maintained that fellow voters who did the same should not consider it a waste of ballot space: ''What we are doing here is establishing a base. Even if they don't win today, come 2010 we already have something to build on.''

''It was a conscience vote that had to be made,'' Luz said.

Platform aside, he added, Kapatiran's debut in these elections also showed to the electorate that ''you don't have to put up a full slate'' to wage a serious campaign and that a party can stand on its own strength, without having to engage in compromises, turncoatism, or tradeoffs to build up its ranks.

For former University of the Philippines president Dodong Nemenzo, however, Kapatiran may have to go beyond mouthing motherhood statements and slogans about their being ''God-centered'' or averse to the ''culture of violence'' -- in order to do better in future elections.

''Many groups have used those same words before they did,'' Nemenzo noted.

He said that while the fledgling party might have appealed most to the middle-class who are seeking an alternative to mainstream politicians, the voters were still looking for ''concrete'' action plans from the group.

Nemenzo said that of the three Kapatiran candidates, he only voted for Bautista because he ''came up with an idea and made himself a concrete example for the people: a former OFW (Overseas Filipino Worker) who made good and chose to return so that he can serve his country.''

The one-time political science professor also observed that, even among Metro Manila voters who have ample access to the media and are supposedly well-informed about the candidates, Kapatiran is not doing well in the initial tallies.

[BYAHILO]

masyadong exciting itong election sa pampanga. its one of the provinces na binabantayan ng lahat.

i just hope na mabantayan ng mabuti ang mga balota, whoever wins, sana tatanggapin ito ng marami...

[ivanhenares]

As of 9:35 p.m.

PANLILIO - 182,401
LAPID - 166,593
PINEDA - 165,400

[OtAkAw]

I see more updates here than in any TV or radio station elsewhere! Bilib ako sa mga resourceful SSCers! Galing!

[ivanhenares]

As of 10:35 p.m.

PANLILIO - 190,282
PINEDA - 173,641
LAPID - 173,565

[kennethologist]

if the priest wins this election, it will be a pivotal moment for both the catholic church in general (as in kasama vatican) and Philippine government...

baka mamaya because of this, the next encyclical will be based on what happened in our country... or maybe a new Vatican ruling as big as limbo's ditching... hmmm very interesting....

[ivanhenares]

Nah, I doubt. Other countries already had priests who won in the elections.

In fact, President Jean Bertrand Aristide of Haiti is a Catholic priest. In Canada last year, Fr. Raymond Gravel won a seat in Canada’s House of Commons. There is Congressman Robert F. Drinan, S.J. in the U.S. who filed the initial impeachment complaint against Pres. Richard Nixon (In 1980, Pope John Paul II ordered Father Drinan to either forgo re election or leave the priesthood. With "regret and pain," Father Drinan announced he would not seek re election.)

Just search the Internet, you'll find more priests in politics, even one who ran and lost in India and was suspended by the CBCI for defying his bishop's order not to run. In fact, Fr. Ed is not alone. Monsignor Crisanto dela Cruz is a candidate for mayor in Zamboanga City this election.

[zelrich82]

i didn't hear about the candidate from zamboanga city, overwhelming ang media coverage ni Fr. Ed because of the bad publicities of the other 2 candidates. sometimes ang di magandang sinasabi sa ibang kanditato ay nakakatulong sa marangal na candidate, if i was alowed to vote - i would've voted for Fr. Ed, i agree to a new change in pampanga politics . iba talaga pag-nagsasama na ang mga tao at nag-decide who they want, kahit na nabayaran yung iba - i think they still voted to whom they prefer; who would know -di ba...

[bitoy]

I hope Father Ed hangs on to his lead on this early count. That would be something new for the Philippine politics that a clergyman can put down 2 powerful political/media/gambling clowns...I mean clans, pala.

[BYAHILO]

hay sana lahat ng kandidato katulad kay fr Ed. i hav an aunt and uncle in Dau, nasa tapat lng ng Puregold Dau. dunno sino binoto nila.

pero kng vote ako ng pampanga, i would have also voted for Fr Ed. He brings new hope to this "already-distressed" nation.

[tisoycuba]

Originally Posted by ivanhenares

Juanita Lumanlan-Nepomuceno is from Porac. The other governor from Angeles is Rafael Lazatin.

Juanita lumanlan-nepomuceno was born in Porac,but she already angeles city residence when she married apong ketong nepomuceno paradise compound cut-cut angeles city.. I'm also working for nepo before,apong juanita was also first district congresswoman in early 60'.... mabuhay ka kaibigan !!!

[Culiat]

Cool! Tita Vicky is now Vice Mayor and that Kuya Jon Jon lost hahaha. Sbagay wala naman siyang panama kay tito Blueboy

[TheAvenger]

this morning I was having my breakfast in McDo Dau and the group of Anthony Dee was having breakfast meeting also, just about 2 seats from me.

I overheard their conversations that the counting of ballots in Mabalacat is not completed yet and they were winning in the Mayoralty race about a hundred or more votes. Then just after I left McDo, I met an in-laws and he said Boking Morales is winning the race for Mayor of Mabalacat. I guess it is a close race in Mabalacat.

[ivanhenares]

Originally Posted by tisoycuba

Juanita lumanlan-nepomuceno was born in Porac,but she already angeles city residence when she married apong ketong nepomuceno paradise compound cut-cut angeles city.. I'm also working for nepo before,apong juanita was also first district congresswoman in early 60'.... mabuhay ka kaibigan !!!

Residency nalang yun. In the same way Mayor Agapito del Rosario of Angeles is from San Fernando; and Mayor Oscar Rodriguez of San Fernando is from Sta. Ana.

[ivanhenares]

As of 8 a.m., 588,385 votes counted:
PANLILIO - 204,945
PINEDA - 195,523
LAPID - 204,945

It's tense since Lilia Pineda's camp is already claiming victory. Text message going around was "Grabe na dayaan last night, brownouts all over. But they are having difficulty bec watchers on close guard. Cheating daw w blessing of PGMA. Prayers needed."

[Culiat]

Originally Posted by TheAvenger

this morning I was having my breakfast in McDo Dau and the group of Anthony Dee was having breakfast meeting also, just about 2 seats from me.

I overheard their conversations that the counting of ballots in Mabalacat is not completed yet and they were winning in the Mayoralty race about a hundred or more votes. Then just after I left McDo, I met an in-laws and he said Boking Morales is winning the race for Mayor of Mabalacat. I guess it is a close race in Mabalacat.

Hmmm... I dont like Mr. Dy nor do I like lolo boking

[tisoycuba]

kaibigan,avenger@panalo ba si pareng ben policarpio sa mabalacat council,ka ticket sya ni boking eh..