I think there is a concerted effort to unseat Pampanga Governor Fr. Ed Panlilio.

He won with a slim margin (and considered a miracle at that) against the well-oiled political machine of traditional Kapampangan politicos, a fact that Kapampangan trapos had not forgotten and is still sore at the moment. There was no honeymoon period. And now, traditional dirty politics is at play.

Despite the province earning more money from sand quarrying in a year, more money than what the province had earned during the time of the Lapids, the trapos are hard at work looking for chinks in Panlilio’s armor. The provincial board, led by the sore-loser-basketball-coach-and-part-time vice governor, together with most of the mayors, are up in arms against Panlilio. Heck, Joseller Guiao, coach of PBA team Red Bull (who lost in the semi-finals, buti nga), even said that the governor was underperforming.

And now, the Comelec has granted Lilia Pineda’s motion for a recount. For those who do not know (and for those who chose not to), Pineda is a close friend and kumare of Gloria Arroyo. The motion was granted, even if the motion was copied almost verbatim from a certain protest in Batangas.

And what is more sinister, aside from the tattered reputation of the Comelec? Simple: last year, Panlilio exposed a bribery attempt that had happened right inside the Fortress by the Pasig. It was one of the major scandals that rocked this regime (conveniently forgotten by the Filipino people, deeply engrossed watching the turd telenovelas of that day). Take that into the equation, and your answer is as good as mine.

Or maybe not.