The PUVs and tricycles used to transport at least 200 illegal registrants from Isulan, Sultan Kudarat held by the PNP at Brgy. Kamasi, Ampatuan, Maguindanao yesterday. Video by Jeff Mendez, Oblate Media.
By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES
Video courtesy of OBLATE MEDIA
COTABATO CITY— The “hakot” system—transporting residents by hundreds to different registration centers— in the ongoing voters’ listup in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is getting more creative and sophisticated, an election watchdog group said.
Bobby Taguntong, Provincial Coordinator of Maguindanao’s Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms, Inc (C-CARE) said trucks with loads of passengers have been seen with white flaglets, a practice used by vehicles on the way to a funeral. In reality, the passengers are being ferried to registration centers.
Another style noted is decorating vehicles with colorful banderitas, which usually means that the passengers are on their way to a wedding. Again, the passengers are actually bound headed for registration centers, Taguntong said.
Registrations in the ARMM provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Tawi-tawi, Basilan and Sulu started July 9 and will end Wednesday following Comelec Resolution 9443 that suspended all ongoing registrations nationwide from June 25 to July 31 to give priority to ARMM.
In a July 16 C-CARE release, Thaiba Anwar, Head of Basilan’s C-CARE Provincial Management Committee also observed that the hakot system has become “more sophisticated”
The release said that speedboats transported a large number of young people from Zamboanga City by night to register in Upper Bato-Bato , Akbar for P100 per meal.
Yesterday, one died and two were wounded when a motorized boat bound for Tabuan-Lasa, Basilan from Zamboanga City was riddled with bullets between Calang Canas and Tamuk Island in Maluso, Basilan.
(ARMM WATCH is a project of VERA Files in partnership with MindaNews, The Asia Foundation and Australian Agency for International Development.)