The case of Gov. Ejercito

Published by the Visayan Daily Star Publications, Inc.

NINFA R. LEONARDIA Editor-in-Chief & President

CARLA P. GOMEZ Editor CHERYL CRUZ Desk Editor PATRICK PANGILINAN Busines Editor NIDA A. BUENAFE Sports Editor RENE GENOVE Bureau Chief, Dumaguete MAJA P. DELY Advertising Coordinator

CARLOS ANTONIO L. LEONARDIA Administrative Officer

We sympathize with Laguna Governor E. R. Ejercito for the situation he is in now. After campaigning so hard, and doing so much for his province, he got the surprise of his life when the Commission on Election suddenly comes out with a decision finding him guilty of overspending in the latest election, and imposing the prescribed penalty of disqualification on him.

As soon as the order for his disqualification was served, Ejercito tried to avoid its implementation by seeking a temporary restraining order from the Supreme Court. The TRO did not come, and the allowable period to avail of it had lapsed, so the Comelec installed and swore in his Vice Governor, Ramil Hernandez, to take over.

Frustrated by the failure of the Supreme Court to grant him the remedy, albeit temporary, that he was seeking, Ejercito returned to the Capitol where, he declared, he intended to remain until Supreme Court has acted on his case. In the meantime, his replacement, who had been anointed by both the Comelec and the Local Government Department, is holding office somewhere else. This, both the Comelec and the Local Government Department, said, is to ensure that government services are delivered continuously, and there is no gap in governance in the province.

For sure, many people, his fellow local government executives included, are saddened at what happened to Governor Ejercito. But, as lawyers love to quote, Dura sed lex – the law is hard, but that is the law.

Since Ejercito has already done what should be done by going to the Supreme Court, what he should do now is to wait for its decision on his case. This will show his people that he abides by the law, and will await the legal ruling on his case. His lawyers can look for the options available to him, but defiance of authority will only aggravate matters for him.*