MANILA, Philippines?The Commission on Elections ruled on Tuesday that Roberto Pagdanganan won the 2007 mid-term elections over the sitting provincial leader Gov. Joselito Mendoza.

The Comelec Second Division, in a three-page resolution, directed Mendoza to ?immediately vacate the Office of the Provincial Governor of Bulacan; cease and desist from discharging the functions thereof; and peacefully turn over the said office to protestant Pagdanganan.?

The commissioners said the recount of the votes showed Pagdanganan obtaining a ?winning margin? of 4,321 votes.

Records showed that Pagdanganan garnered a total of 342,295 votes against Mendoza?s 337,974 votes after the recount.

The recount was triggered by Pagdanganan?s electoral protest. ?Right from the start, I was confident that I was the elected governor of Bulacan. This decision of the Comelec proves me right,? Pagdanganan said in a press conference.

Pagdanganan said Mendoza was declared winner of the local polls after allegedly getting 15,000 votes over him. Mendoza purportedly got 364,566 votes in the original count.

The former Bulacan governor said Mendoza would surely challenge the Comelec ruling. In anticipation of that, he noted that he would file a motion for ?execution pending appeal? so that he can start his duties as provincial governor.

?I?m confident that I can assume the post before the term expires next year. With the time left for me (as governor) I can still do so many things for the people of Bulacan,? he said.