[cflsystems]

<!--countdown -->

<div id="counter_tlapalero" >
<div id="test"> </div>
</div>

<!--/coutdown -->

will load no matter what you have in the {php} since this code is not part of the {php} code but part of the template. And since you are using similar code in the first part there is nothing to load - the php 'if/else' you are putting out there will not do anything for the template - you have the html code as part of the template not as part of the php code