MANILA, Philippines - The Commission on Elections failed Thursday to rule on former governor Benjamin Dy's motion for execution allowing him to take over immediately as governor of Isabela.

Instead, the poll body ordered Dy's camp to answer in 5 days incumbent Isabela Gov. Grace Padaca's motion for reconsideration on the Comelec's decision annulling her 2007 victory in the gubernatorial election.

The Comelec 2nd Division earlier ruled that Dy was the rightful winner of the gubernatorial race after getting a 1,051-vote lead over Padaca after a vote recount. In her motion for reconsideration, Padaca said the Comelec failed to credit at least 2,000 votes for her, which would easily erase Dy's 1,000-plus vote lead.

Dy's attorney, Bernadette Sardillo, said Padaca's motion was invalid since the lawyer who notarized the petition had yet to pay dues to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. The Comelec ordered Padaca's camp to get her motion properly notarized and submit a copy to Dy's camp.

The Comelec gave Padaca 3 days to answer Dy's opposition to her motion before it issues a decision.

Sardillo said she is willing to bring her client's fight all the way to Supreme Court. "Even if we go up to Supreme Court ... I maintain that Gov. Dy was defrauded during the elections," the lawyer said.

The Comelec earlier said it nullified Padaca's win after discovering that many of the ballots cast for her were written by the same person.

Padaca's supporters trooped to the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila Thursday to show their support for the governor. Fr. Robert Reyes denounced the Comelec 2nd Division for giving unfavorable decisions to known opponents of President Arroyo including Padaca and Bulacan Gov. Jonjon Mendoza.

Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio, who is also fighting an electoral protest filed by losing candidate Lilia Pineda, said the decisions to oust Padaca and Mendoza bode ill for his own case. "More or less, we know what's going to happen in Pampanga," he told ABS-CBN.

He added, however, that he and his supporters are already preparing their next steps in case Comelec issues an unfavorable decision and orders his removal.