‘Blatant’ cheating in Sulu exposed

The deliberate stalling tactic to delay the proclamation winning senatorial candidates is a reminiscent of 2004 fraudulent presidential election. Malacanang and elections chief manipulator Benjamin Abalos are cooking the DEVIL’S RECIPE-electoral fraud. There’s strong proof that systematic cheating in Maguindanao, Lanao and Sulu in favor of Gloria’s TUTA and yet Comelec chief Abalos have no enthusiasm to investigate alleged election irregularities. The presence of ex-generals Lomibao and Palparan and election operators in Lanao Del Sur special elections may have something to do with devil’s recipe. Malacanang is determined the entry of additional 3 TU bets in the magic 12 by hook and by crook and this is an invitation of an uprising. Gloria Arroyo’s bogus presidency is a by-product of massive cheating in Mindanao.


‘Blatant’ cheating in Sulu exposed
Election officials accused of collusion

BY DENNIS GADIL

A LAWYER for the Genuine Opposition yesterday said poll cheating was so blatant in Sulu province that even the incumbent congressman and the governor actively participated in rigging the results.

"We have witnesses to prove (that) on May 13, lahat ng ballots filled-up na ng tao ng mga pulitiko, kasama ang Comelec municipal election supervisor, (as) per instruction of the provincial election supervisor," Diego Palomares, a former judge, mayor and assemblyman, said in a media briefing at the GO headquarters in Makati City.

He added: "We have documents to support, walang election sa Luuk, Kalingalan-Caluang at Tungkil."

Palomares said a policeman who executed an affidavit even claimed seeing Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan and Rep. Munir Arbison personally supervising the filling up of ballots and election returns (ERs) on the eve of Election Day.

"Ang incumbent Rep. Munir Arbison, kasama ang provincial Gov. Sakur Tan, pumasok sa municipal hall where the ballots and election paraphernalia were stored. They took control and supervised the filling up of ballots," Palomares said, quoting the affidavit of the policeman whom he refused to identify.

He said Arbison, a re-electionist congressman who represents the second district of Sulu, and the wife of Tan, Hajja, even personally filled up the ballots.

Palomares said in Kalingalan-Caluang in Sulu, a barangay chairman spearheaded the filling up of ballots from 3 a.m. to 6 a.m. of May 14 or hours before the opening of polling precincts.

Palomares said he and his son, Dunhill, a law student in Davao City, were able to obtain the affidavits of more than a hundred voters and watchers who attested that no actual voting took place in the second district of Sulu which has at least 100,000 voters.

He said the affidavits run from A to U.

Sulu’s second district is composed of 10 municipalities including Luuk town where Alan Peter Cayetano and Benigno Aquino III got zero votes.

Palomares said would-be voters were shooed away by the regional Comelec officials during Election Day and were told that they have already voted.

Palomares said the voters also affixed their own thumb marks on the affidavits as proof that the thumb marks found on the ballots were not theirs.

The GO lawyer said they worked on the affidavits for four days. Palomares said the witnesses are willing to come forward.

Palomares said more than a hundred voters who were already working in Sabah, Malaysia were also able to "vote" with the others voting for them.

He said he witnessed election fraud in Sulu but he was only told by the perpetrators, some of whom were board of election inspectors, to go ahead and sue them.

"Yung ibang (watcher) na nagrereklamo, binibigyan nila ng balota at sinasabihan, ‘sige ilagay mo kung sino’ng gusto mo’ para matahimik ka lang," he said.

Palomares stressed that the corrupt BEIs and Comelec officials should be charged with electoral sabotage.

Re-electionist Sen. Panfilo Lacson said they will use the affidavits of the voters and watchers as basis in filing charges against Comelec officials in Sulu before the Ombudsman. Lacson said the case will be filed Monday.

"Comelec na lang yata ang hindi nakakaalam na may widespread cheating. Now we have two witnesses," Lacson said.

Lacson said his group will provide security to Palomares and his son.

Lacson and GO spokesman Adel Tamano showed a footage of policemen from the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) shooing away watchers from a polling precinct in Ganasi, Lanao del Sur.

The policemen took over the counting and even personally tallied the votes.

Tamano said the watchers were allowed to return only after some hours and were told to just sign the ERs, indicating that the counting was over.

As of Thursday, the Comelec had canvassed 88 percent of the votes and hopes to wind up its tally Friday.

Comelec has finished counting all 154 certificates of canvass (COC) from overseas absentee voting, and 104 COCs from local and local absentee voting for a total of 258 COCs.

The Comelec, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers ordered the second deferment of the COCs from Maguindanao.

The NBC arrived at the decision at the conclusion of arguments between Provincial Election Supervisor Lintang Bedol, administration lawyer Romulo Macalintal and opposition lawyers.

"With the admission of Bedol that none from opposition was present, none of copies for dominant minority has been furnished, considering the number of zeros, the board has resolved to defer the canvassing of the COC from Maguindanao," chairman Benjamin Abalos said.

Abalos said they will require the presence of other election personnel from the municipalities, BEIs and the province to give a hand in explaining the "step-by-step" conduct of canvassing in the whole province.

Bedol appeared before the NBC after his presence was required by the board when the reading of Maguindanao COCs was deferred last Tuesday.

The COCs revealed that Team Unity swept the senatorial race with Luis Singson in No. 1.

Seven GO candidates got zero votes. They are Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, Alan Peter Cayetano, Nikki Coseteng, Panfilo Lacson, John Osmeña, Sonia Roco and Antonio Trillanes.

Francis Escudero was at 13th place followed by Manny Villar and Loren Legarda. Aquilino Pimentel III was at 17th place.

Bedol failed to recount the procedure that the provincial canvassers went through after it was questioned by opposition lawyers.

He also admitted that he is still in possession of the ER copies of the dominant minority party as well as that of the Namfrel as there was no one who claimed it. – With Gerard Naval . MALAYA .

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