By Rep. Satur C. Ocampo
Bayan Muna President
House Deputy Minority Leader

The delay in the proclamation of Gov. Grace Padaca re-elected as
Isabela governor is a deliberate scheme of the Malacanang – Benjamin
Dy tandem to buy ample time to rig the election results to favor Dy.

Governor Padaca enjoys a clear lead over her rival despite the nine
municipalities being purported by the Dy camp as fraught with
irregularities, to justify the petition for a declaration of failure
of elections. Even with the 61 contested election returns excluded,
Padaca still leads by over 5,000 votes.

The Commission on Elections seems to have become the chief tool in
paving the way for this wholesale fraud. While Dy’s petition has yet
to be heard by the Comelec, the certificates of canvass for Isabela
have been brought to the Philippine International Convention Center.

Padaca’s resounding victory in 2004 was a bitter pill which the Arroyo
government had to swallow and the Dys cannot accept to swallow again.
They are moving heaven and earth to delay Padaca’s proclamation and
eventually concoct schemes to install Dy as governor instead.

Bayan Muna has supported Padaca in the 2004 and 2007 elections on the
ground that she shares the politics of change being advocated by our
party. We have closely worked with her in pushing for lasting reforms
to uplift the lives of the poor and marginalized.

The people of Isabela have spoken. They have chosen Padaca and
rejected the tyrannical rule of the Dys. Their will must be upheld.

Padaca must be proclaimed as Isabela governor now! ###

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