The political fate of two governors whose victories in local elections were the stuff of legends will be known next week.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 2nd division, chaired by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, will come out with its resolution on the electoral cases of Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio.

The two local officials are facing recounts of the gubernatorial votes filed by their respective rivals.

Ferrer told abs-cbnnews.com/Newsbreak that the recount ruling in Isabela will be promulgated on Tuesday while the recount in Pampanga will be released “around Thursday or Friday.”

Padaca crippled the three-decade Dy dynasty in Isabela following her stunning victory in 2004 over reelectionist Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. She replicated her feat in 2007 when she trounced Faustino’s brother and also former governor Benjamin Dy, with a margin of 17,000 votes.

For the May 2010 polls, she is up against the outgoing Isabela Rep. Faustino Dy III.

The recount in Isabela was prompted by Benjamin Dy’s allegations that Padaca’s camp resorted to massive cheating. Some 683 ballot boxes from 12 towns were subjected to a recount.

Padaca’s camp has denied Dy’s accusations.

Fingers crossed

In a separate interview, Padaca said she is keeping her fingers crossed on the case, although she noted that Dy “did not make a big recovery in the recount.”

She said she is bracing for the worst scenario, adding that the Dys have been conditioning the minds of the people in the province that they would be able to recapture the provincial government before the May 2010 polls.

“I do not know where their confidence is coming from,” Padaca said in a phone interview.

She said she is “outraged” over allegations that she committed fraud to win a second term. “They are accusing me of something which enabled them to stay in power for 30 years.”
 
Benjamin Dy is now seeking a mayoralty post in Cauayan City.

Appeal to Comelec en banc

In the Pampanga recount case, about 4,683 ballot boxes were contested. The recount was sought by losing gubernatorial candidate Lilia Pineda, who, based on Comelec records, lost to Panlilio by only 1,147 votes.

Panlilio’s victory was hailed as the local election story in 2007. A hesitant candidate, Panlilio, with his ragtag team, defeated then incumbent Governor Mark Lapid and the financially-loaded Pineda, both allies of President Arroyo.

Panlilio and Padaca are now members of the Liberal Party (LP), which is fielding Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino in the presidential race.

Whichever the resolutions on the two recount cases favor, Ferrer said the parties could still elevate the 2nd division’s ruling to the Comelec en banc.

Only last week, the 2nd division settled the gubernatorial dispute in Bulacan, ordering Joselito “Jon-jon"  Mendoza to vacate the post and handing it over to Roberto “Obet” Pagdanganan.

Interestingly, the Mendoza camp has formed an alliance with the LP for the May 2010 polls.