LP REBUKES COMELEC FOR UNSEATING ISABELA GOV. GRACE PADACA

Liberal Party officials today slammed the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allowing itself to be used by the Arroyo government for its "vendetta" politics against local executives who have allied themselves with the opposition.

"Kredibilidad ng Comelec at ng halalan sa 2010 ang nakasalalay dito. Bakit pumayag ang mga opisyal ng Comelec na magamit ang kanilang institusyon para sa ginagawang harassment ng Palasyo sa mga kritiko nito? (What is at stake here is the credibility of the Comelec and the 2010 elections. Why did Comelec officials allow their institution to be used by Malacañang for its bullying tactics against its critics?)" asked LP President Sen. Mar Roxas.

"Biglaang binuhay itong electoral protest laban kay (Isabela) Gov. (Grace) Padaca matapos siyang makipag-alyansa sa Partido Liberal. Halatang-halata na harassment lamang ito (The electoral protest against Gov. Padaca was suddenly revived after she allied herself with the Liberal Party. This is obviously a harassment scheme)," he added.

Roxas said the ruling of the Comelec 2nd division would allow Malacañang to regain control of Isabela and prevent its imminent defeat in next year's polls. He noted that the same poll body division ruled similarly in the electoral protest lodged against incumbent Bulacan Gov. Jon-Jon Mendoza.

"Lahat, gagawin ng administrasyon para manatili sa poder. Lahat, gagawin nila para mabawi ang mga dati nilang balwarte. (This administration will stop at nothing to stay in power. It will do anything and everything to get back its bailiwicks.) The Arroyo administration is applying all foul means to prevent its impending defeat in 2010," he lamented.

He added, however, the Liberal Party would forge on and pursue its fight for reforms and good governance.

"Hindi tayo papayag na maghari itong vendetta politics sa buong bansa. Itong mga 'Islands of Hope' na nasimulan na ng mga local na opisyal na ito ay hindi puwedeng mabawi ng administrasyon ng ganid. Kami sa Partido Liberal, haharangin namin itong blitzkrieg operations ng administrasyon laban sa mga lokal na opisyal na hadlang sa mga hangarin nito (The LP will not allow this vendetta politics to reign in our country. We must make sure that the 'Islands of Hope' that our local allies have started are not put to naught by this greedy administration. We will impede these blitzkrieg operations against our local allies)," Roxas vowed.