After a delay of more than two years, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) starts on Wednesday the recount of the votes in the ballots contained in 4,688 precincts covered by the election protest of former Provincial Board Member Lilia Pineda against Pampanga Governor Eddie Panlilio.

The Comelec Second Division, composed of Presiding Commissioner Nicodemo T. Ferrer and Commissioners Lucenito N. Tagle and Elias R. Yusoph, ordered the formation of 21 revision committees to speed up the recount as ordered by the Supreme Court over the vehement objection of Panlilio lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr.

Francisco said he was filing a motion for reconsideration on the creation of 21 revision committees instead of the usual four committees.

Wednesday’s recount will be held pursuant to the High Court’s unanimous decision last July 16, 2009 denying Panlilio’s bid to nullify two Comelec orders that turned down his plea to dismiss the election protest by Pineda.

It also denied Panlilio’s omnibus motion to certify his earlier motion for reconsideration and stay the order of the poll body’s second division directing the collection of ballot boxes in the contested precincts in Pampanga.

Wednesday’s recount will be held at the 8th Floor of Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila. The revision committees will be under the overall supervision of Comelec lawyer Francis Abaya.