By JONALYN FORTUNO and PAULINE DYCOCO
WITH the upcoming special elections in 11 areas, a youth group is urging all sectors to continue monitoring the polls, especially in ensuring that all election returns (ERs) be accounted for.
“While these areas are now undergoing or are set to undergo special elections, we call on the public to remain vigilant against election fraud and violence,” Youth Vote Philippines said in a statement.
Other poll watchdog groups and losing candidates have monitored discrepancies in the electronic and printed election results, allowing some to conclude that a “systematic, widespread fraud” took place during the May 10 polls.
The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), for example, noted differences in the ERs and electronically transmitted data. But PPCRV said the errors showed no pattern of rigging.
Youth Vote Philippines said problems that occurred in the recently held polls can be prevented with continuous and transparent reporting on areas where failure of elections was declared.
On May 28, the Commission on Elections will conduct special elections in seven areas in Lanao del Sur: Masiu, Sultan Dumalondong, Tubaran, Lumba Bayabao, Marogong, Lumbaca Unayan and Bayang; two barangays (Upper and Lower Mahaybahay) in Maluso, Basilan; Buenos Aires, in Pagsanjan, Western Samar; and Generosa in Guimbal, Iloilo.
Failure of elections was declared in these areas because of voter disenfranchisement and poll violence.
In Lanao del Sur, for instance, a series of bombing and shooting incidents prevented Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) from going to the precincts. At least 44,792 voters failed to vote in four areas in the province.
In Basilan, 5,025 residents in 30 precincts did not cast their vote because of unidentified men who were harassing voters in the centers.
Over 400 voters in Iloilo also failed to vote because ballots for their precincts were interchanged with that of Western Samar. The affected areas in Samar had 492 voters.
Comelec has yet to decide on six more petitions to declare failure of elections in six areas in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte, and Abra.
In a petition, Abra Rep. Cecilia Seares Luna, who lost her in her reelection bid, is claiming that thousands of voters in the towns of La Paz and Danglas were “disenfranchised.”
On election day, the petition said “voters” were dragged into polling precincts by armed men and were forced to sign the voters’ list, accept a pre-shaded ballot, and feed it into the machine.
The petition further said such an incident could not have happened without the BEIs consent.
Luna said watchers were not allowed to enter the polling places and were harassed and threatened.
In Poona-Piagapo, Lanao Del Norte, a failure of elections is being sought because of poll-related violence incidents.
The affidavit said that by 7 p.m. on election day, after the closing of the polls and with the machines already sealed, a Comelec officer arrived and ordered members of the military to allow “people” to enter the precincts and vote.
When representatives of a mayoral candidate arrived to question the Comelec, the two men were reportedly mauled. One of them had to be rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, shooting incidents marred the conduct of election in Tugaya, Lanao del Sur. As early as 9:30 a.m. on May 10, explosions and gunfire directed at the polling areas lasted for two hours. A woman was killed and two were injured. The precincts in Tugaya Central Elementary School were reportedly ransacked and official ballots were stolen.
In another barangay, Pandiaranao, voting was taking place when a man opened fire at a police officer, who in turn shot back, killing his assailant. The BEIs and the people ran, leaving the ballots and the PCOS machines.
Under the Omnibus Election Code, a failure of election can be declared if polling failed to take place due to violence, terrorism, fraud and any unforseen event beyond the control of any party.
(The authors are students of Bicol University doing their summer internship at VERA Files.)