The camp of Gov. Eddie Panlilio on Wednesday asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to temporarily suspend the ongoing recount of the 2007 Pampanga votes due to financial constraints.

This developed as priest-turned Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio will announce next week whether or not he will continue to run for the presidency in 2010. “I will make the announcement next week,” he said.

Panlilio’s camp in a five-page petition appealed to Comelec to suspend for three weeks the ongoing recount so as to give them time to raise funds.

“That the ongoing revision be suspended in the meanwhile, at least for a period of three weeks, so as to unburden the protestee in the meanwhile, of his funding predicament — the required daily expenses involved in the revision — with said suspension affording herein protestee some leeway and precious time and opportunity to raise funds,” their petition read.

Panlilio’s camp said that they have been spending at least P30,000 per day since the recount started last August 12 largely due to the payment of salaries of each of the 21 revisors and a handful of support staff.

He said that his remaining funds can only sustain operations for the next three days of the revisions.

But Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said that they cannot anymore afford to suspend the recount saying they have to meet the 45-day deadline they have imposed on themselves.

In fact, he said, they are already on track to finishing the revisions by September 15 since they have already opened more than 2,500 ballot boxes out of the more than 4,000 precincts in question.

“It is not our problem that they cannot pay their revisors. We have to proceed. If they can’t provide us with the revisors, that is a waver,” Ferrer said.

“It was part of their campaign that they are being helped by volunteers. Now is the time for them to make use of that,” added the poll official.

Panlilio won by a slim margin of 1,147 votes in the 2007 gubernatorial race over Lilia Pineda, who is known ally of President Arroyo.

Pineda protested Panlilio’s victory, accusing the latter of electoral fraud and harassment.

Panlilio also refused to answer the media on whether or not he will give way to Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, saying he still needs to consult his supporters about it.