More soldiers deployed to troubled Maguindanao

COTABATO CITY — It has been a week now since the May 14 elections, but the electoral process in Maguindanao, which has only 20 towns, is still far from over.

The Army’s 6th Infantry Division fielded the other day more soldiers, backed by armored vehicles, in at least seven towns where canvassing of election returns are still being held.

Security has also been tightened around the police’s Camp S.K. Pendatun in Parang town, as poll personnel continue to tabulate election returns from nearby Buldon and Barira towns.

"This is in preparation for the proclamation of winning candidates in these two towns. Some quarters might take their defeat seriously and react so we need to be prepared," said Senior Superintendent Omar Ali, information director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) police.

Even in Parang, counting of election returns for the town’s mayoral race has been markedly slowed down due to the tension between a group of Muslim politicians and retired Army Col. Vivencio Bataga, a mayoral aspirant.

Bataga is leading in the initial tabulations, with his rivals, including the influential re-electionist mayor, trailing far behind.

Christian leaders in Parang, a coastal town 20 kilometers northwest of this city, said Bataga’s Muslim rivals have been exhausting means to prevent him from being proclaimed mayor-elect.

"And this is causing tension. The canvassing has to be suspended from time to time," said a public school teacher, who asked not to be identified.

A grenade blast rocked the Parang poblacion last week, believed meant to intimidate the local election board into inhibiting themselves from the counting process.

Parang town is now secured by a battalion-sized contingent from the 3rd Marine Brigade.

Maj. Julieto Ando, spokesman of the Army’s 6th ID, said their commander, Brig. Gen. Roy Kyamko, has ordered the deployment of more soldiers in Maguindanao towns where election returns are still being tabulated, to ensure the safety of poll personnel.

Sources from the office here of lawyer Clarita Callar, Region 12 director of the Commission on Elections, said poll officials, who have inhibited themselves from the canvassing in some areas due to security problems, have been replaced with Comelec personnel from nearby provinces.

One of them was Cadidia Pembayabaya who gave up being the chairwoman of the election board in North Upi town because of threats on her life.

The 6th ID said her replacement, Estelita Orbase, has to be secured by a platoon of soldiers backed by two Simba armored personnel carriers.

Ando said they have also imposed tighter security in Sultan sa Barongis, a secluded town in the second district of Maguindanao, to prevent escalation of hostilities between warring political factions there.

Speculations are rife that the canvassing of gubernatorial votes might be transferred to Metro Manila, on behest of re-electionist Gov. Zacaria Candao.

Candao earlier petitioned the Comelec central office to declare a failure of elections in at least five towns, all bailiwicks of rival Andal Ampatuan.