ILOILO CITY – The Commission on Elections has junked an appeal of former assemblyman Arturo Pacificador to reverse its earlier ruling dismissing his petition to stop the proclamation of Antique Gov. Salvacion Zaldivar-Perez.

In a five-page ruling promulgated on January 24, the Comelec en banc, affirmed the May 28, 2007 resolution of its Second Division denying Pacificador's petition to suspend the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of Perez.

It said the suspension of canvassing and proclamation has already been mooted by the proclamation and assumption to office of Perez.

A special provincial board of canvassers proclaimed Perez on June 29, 2007 with a margin of more than 13,000 votes against Pacificador based on results from the province's 1,855 precincts.

The Comelec resolution was signed by t hen Acting Chair Resurreccion Borra and concurred in by Commissioners Florentino Tuason Jr., Romeo Brawner, Rene Sarmiento, Nicodemo Ferrer and Moslemen Macarambon.

Pacificador had petitioned for the suspension of canvassing of votes and the proclamation of Perez until a disqualification case he filed against Perez had been resolved .

He and former Rep. Jovito Plameras Jr., who also ran but lost in the gubernatorial elections, had sought the disqualification of Perez and seven of her partymates in the Nationalist People's Coalition for allegedly violating the ban on public spending during the election period.

The disqualification case was, however, dismissed for lack of merit by the Comelec's First Division on January 25, 2007.*NPB

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