Namfrel uncovers fraud in provinces

The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said yesterday it has uncovered a clear attempt to commit fraud in the tabulation of votes for the senatorial race, and expressed concern that the attempt at cheating may be widespread.

While the cheating favored candidates from the two rival political coalitions, most of the vote gainers were candidates of the opposition Puwersa ng Masa (PnM) while most of those who lost votes were from the administration’s People Power Coalition (PPC), Namfrel reported.

In an emergency press conference held at the poll watchdog’s Quick Count center in De La Salle-Greenhills, Namfrel chairman Jose Concepcion said records in the municipality of Estancia, Iloilo revealed discrepancies characteristic of the dagdag-bawas (vote shifting) scheme.

Concepcion said there were discrepancies between figures of the Statement of Votes by Precinct and the Certificate of Canvass of Estancia, about 135 kilometers from Iloilo City.

Based on the returns, 17 of the 37 senatorial candidates had votes subtracted from their totals while 19 bets received additional votes.

Namfrel reported that among those who lost votes were PPC bets Joker Arroyo, who was cheated of 578 votes; Liwayway Vinzons-Chato, 51 votes; Franklin Drilon, 9; Ernesto Herrera, 92; Solita Monsod, 36; Sergio Osmeña III, 77; Roberto Pagdanganan, 67; Ralph Recto, 124; Wigberto Tañada, 133; and Manuel Villar, 9; PnM candidate Juan Ponce Enrile, 52; and Homobono Adaza (Independent), 16.

Those who gained votes, Namfrel said, included PnM candidates Edgardo Angara, who got 527 votes; Miriam Defensor-Santiago, 91 votes; Loi Estrada, 89; Gregorio Honasan, 106; Panfilo Lacson, 37; and Ricardo Puno Jr., 58; PPC candidates Juan Flavier, 8 votes, and Ramon Magsaysay Jr.,260; and Independent candidate Orlando Mercado (Ind),15 votes.

Concepcion said the senatorial rankings would seriously be affected if the same discrepancies are discovered in other municipalities.

However, he warned perpetrators of dagdag-bawas that this time, they would easily be caught and eventually jailed.

"To those people with bad intentions, you had better think twice. All election returns will only be received by Namfrel. You will only be wasting your money trying to bribe canvassers," Concepcion said.

He explained that the 6th copy of election returns, which Namfrel would have access for the first time as election watchdog, would be used as basis to check if there was indeed an attempt to pad votes for a particular candidate.

Concepcion also cited reports that a certain representative of a senatorial candidate had approached a provincial election supervisor and offered the official a "gift" in exchange for the rigging of election figures. The election supervisor declined the offer.

The Namfrel chief refused to identify the senatorial candidate involved.

As this developed, the administration and opposition parties swapped accusations of fraud and massive cheating.

People Power Coalition (PPC) spokesman Conrado Limcaoco exposed what he called a "massive and organized attempt at fraud" in Northern Samar and Cavite.

On the other hand, the Puwersa ng Masa-Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PnM-LDP) said that the Arroyo administration’s poll-fraud operations were intended to pull down the rankings of front-running opposition bets accused of rebellion.

At a press conference, Limcaoco presented several fake election return certificates from the two vote-rich areas.

He claimed the certificates were switched with the original returns during blackouts that took place while ballots were being canvassed on May 14.

"These are the smoking guns, and we are not about to take this sitting down," Limcaoco said.

He said there was obviously an anomaly since PPC bet Joker Arroyo, who is considered an idol by Samareños, received zero votes in several precincts of the province.

The PPC said it would use the tampered returns as evidence in seeking the annulment of the election in Northern Samar, where some 250,000 votes are at stake.

Limcaoco said they also uncovered several ballots bearing similar serial numbers in Cavite.

"Where did these come from?" he asked.

The PPC spokesman said they will seek the help of the National Bureau of Investigation to determine the origin of the spurious ballots and election returns.

PPC bets demoralized

Senatorial candidates running under the administration banner expressed disappointment yesterday over the way the PPC and Malacañang are handling the massive election fraud allegedly being committed by the opposition party.

The candidates, who requested anonymity, said the inaction of the PPC and the Arroyo administration to stop cheating through dagdag- bawas can be likened to an ally leaving another in the middle of a battle.

"We are supposed to be a coalition. We are supposed to be backed by the administration. But as things stand now, we are left to fend for ourselves. We are being abandoned," one leading PPC senatorial bet said.

Another candidate blamed the Palace for its failure to protect the sanctity of the ballot despite having been forewarned that the opposition "would employ dagdag-bawas and bawas-bawas (vote shaving)."

"Those in the administration have been informed of plans to cheat in the elections and they have the resources to thwart these irregularities," the candidate said.

The disgruntled PPC bets said they had expected the administration to rally behind them and "employ everything within the bounds of law to ensure that the will of the electorate is protected."

"They were aware of possible fraud, but now it’s too late. The opposition pulled one over us," one candidate said.

As this developed, Justice Secretary Hernando Perez said he has sent Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño and Senior Prosecutor Leo Dacera III to Mindanao to prevent dagdag-bawas attempts by candidates.

"I instructed them to order prosecutors, who are members of the board of canvassers, not to allow cheating to take place. They will stay there for as long as it takes," Perez said.

Meanwhile, Presidential Spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao refuted claims by the opposition that President Arroyo has been pressuring Comelec and local officials into propping up votes for the administration candidates.

"That is a brazen lie and despicable black propaganda to besmirch the integrity of the President," Tiglao said. "What she has been doing is to contact local officials and appeal to them not to cooperate with opposition operatives seeking to tamper with election returns."

Opposition cries foul

PnM spokesman Crispin Remulla said pieces of evidence of bawas-bawas operations obtained by the opposition show that votes were shaved off from former PNP chief Panfilo Lacson and re-electionist Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Gregorio Honasan and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Remulla said PnM lawyers are also set to file today a petition before the Comelec seeking the revocation of an order transferring the canvassing of votes cast in Maguindanao to Camp Awang even as the opposition uncovered cases of fraud that shaved off at least 22,000 votes from PnM candidates in Lanao del Norte alone.

He said officials in Camp Awang could not produce any Comelec order that would justify the transfer of the canvassing venue inside the military camp when PnM officials demanded that they be given a copy of the directive.

"There is no valid reason to transfer the canvassing of the votes inside a military camp because there is no peace and order problem in the area concerned. The canvassing of the votes should be transferred back to the municipalities," Remulla said.

PnM officials also reported that the canvassing of votes in Maguindanao, where the PnM is winning 11-2, has been proceeding very slowly.

In a related development, former presidential adviser on political affairs Lito Banayo said Malacañang has virtually admitted its involvement in the ongoing bawas-bawas and bawas-dagdag operations against the opposition with its post-election scenarios presented by Tiglao.

Banayo, campaign manager of Lacson, questioned the basis of the supposed "best-case scenario" of 10-2-1.

"The ploy of Malacañang is intended to condition the mind of the public that even its weak candidates can still pull it off although Namfrel counting tends more to a 7-6 scenario with either the PnM or PPC taking the lead," Banayo said.

Malacañang has predicted that PPC candidates like Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto, Quezon Rep. Wigberto Tañada and economist Winnie Monsod would make it in the "Magic 13" despite their poor showing in the Namfrel Quick Count.

Tiglao stressed that in their "best scenario" only former First Lady Luisa Ejercito-Estrada, former Executive Secretary Edgardo Angara and broadcast journalist Noli de Castro would make it in the "Magic 13."

In its "worst case scenario," Malacañang is noticeably persistent that Recto would make it to the top 13 while Lacson, who is currently No. 8 in Namfrel’s Quick Count, is again out of the picture.

"It looks to me that Malacañang is doing everything, including massive and systematic fraud, just to make sure that Gen. Lacson is eased out of the winning margin," Banayo said. – With Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla