‘Ghost’ voters and sore losers

Except with the few isolated violent incidents that erupted in areas that were earlier declared as “hot spots” of contest among candidates, the just concluded barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) held last Monday were the most successful. That, as far as Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr. was concerned. Abalos credited it much to the innovations and “very stringent” regulations the Commission on Elections (Comelec) implemented during the BSKE held all over the country.

Abalos likewise thanked both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as deputized law enforcement arms of the Comelec for exercising maximum tolerance. Abalos noted, however, the entire process of BSKE were completed without any major election-related violence. This, despite the 19 casualties reported due to the intense rivalry of candidates and their supporters. It mostly happened in the areas under Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

Overall, the DILG chief cited the generally peaceful and orderly BSKE taking place again in our country after three postponements, one after the other, in the past. The last barangay polls were held in May 2020.

The first postponement was in November 2016 when the past Congress reset this to May 2020. It was former President Rodrigo Duterte who vouched to the previous Congress to postpone the BSKE. Among other reasons, the former Davao City Mayor cited fears on the alleged “narco politics” have seeped down the level of barangays which are the country’s most basic political units.

On the other hand, the last SK elections were held in May 2018. Then, a new law was passed that synchronized the holding of the barangay and SK elections.

However, Mr. Duterte asked Congress to postpone anew the BSKE to December 2022. Another law, though, was subsequently passed by the present 19th Congress that moved the date of BSKE to the last Monday of October 2023. President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. signed it into law as Republic Act (RA) 11935.

In June this year, however, the Supreme Court struck down RA 11935 as unconstitutional and declared “the law unconstitutionally exceeds the bounds of the Congress’ power to legislate.” The High Court allowed though the Oct. 30, 2023 BSKE to proceed, but stressed that the terms of incumbent officials have ended already in December 31, 2022. Further, the same SC ruling required the winning officials will serve only until 2025 when the next BSKE being held on that year, and every three years thereafter.

In our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, the DILG Secretary commended the seven-man poll body headed by Comelec Chairman George Garcia for handling the BSKE in accordance with the latest SC ruling. In turn, Abalos appealed to all BSKE winners “to reach out” to losing rivals to set the tone of unity and peace and order in their respective communities and villages.

Now that the winners were officially proclaimed and a number of them have even been able to take their oaths of office, the DILG Secretary urged everyone concerned to respect the BSKE results.

“They (winners) have only two years of term to serve until the next BSKE in 2025,” Abalos pointed out.

Meanwhile, Abalos reassured the Comelec that the DILG will look into the reported complaints of alleged harassment incidents by certain local government executives in favor of their own BSKE candidates. With the PNP under his immediate supervision, Abalos likewise assuaged Garcia the DILG will help the Comelec to go after policemen who supposedly were trained to serve in the Board of Election Inspectors for the BSKE but backed out on election day.

But, what really bemuses the DILG Secretary were the reported victory of at least three persons deprived of liberty (PDL) currently serving their respective sentences for their crimes. The three PDLs, all facing illegal drugs cases, won as barangay councilor or “kagawad” in their respective barangays – one in Tanay, Rizal; one in Dasmariñas City in Cavite; and one in Ipulan, Cagayan de Oro City.

This was reported to him by the head of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), which is one of the attached agencies of the DILG. Presumably, Abalos theorized, the families of the three PDLs and their respective supporters did social media campaign to promote their candidacies.

Legally, Abalos explained, the three PDLs can run for public office since they are not yet convicted, but are still serving a detention of three years or less. Only those with short jail sentences are detained at BJMP cells, he pointed out.

Abalos is a lawyer by profession and formerly served three consecutive terms as Mayor of Mandaluyong City and Congressman, interchangeably.

Nonetheless, the DILG Secretary plans to explore with the Comelec on how this could be properly addressed in the future. He is toying with the idea that the PDLs who are allowed to run for public office must indicate their status in the certificate of candidacy and in ballots to properly inform their voters of their being still in jail with “pending” case.

Abalos joined us in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay weekly news forum that coincided with the “All Saints Day” observance. While monitoring the “Undas” activities all over the country, the 61-year-old Abalos and wife Mandaluyong Vice Mayor Menchie visited the gravesites of his late mother and their 19-year-old daughter.

Which brings to mind that the BSKE took place on the eve of the Halloween festivity that is usually celebrated with ghostly and scary creatures. Notably, Abalos quipped, they did not receive any reported “ghost” voters. This refers to fraudulent voters hired to elect a favored candidate using the identities of dead registered voters.

It might be too soon to tell if Comelec succeeded in exorcising “ghost” voters from its official registry. For one, the Comelec is still gathering reports and complaints from their field offices nationwide. There is no dearth of sore losers in every election.