Namfrel nowhere in sight in Kudarat town (12:05 p.m.)
Posted on May 14, 2007
Filed Under News |
LUTAYAN, Sultan Kudarat — Volunteers of election watchdog National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) are no where to be found in this Muslim dominated town, but the board of election inspectors still push through with the voting.
With a registered voting population of 26,291 in 133 clustered precincts, this town is the traditional bailiwick of the politically powerful Mangudadatu clan.
Governor Pax Mangudadatu is seeking the first district congressional seat while his son, Representative Suharto Mangudadatu is vying for the position his father will vacate.
The elder Mangudadatu, fresh from a tennis game, voted around 8:30 a.m. flanked by security escorts, while the younger Mangudadatu voted about an hour later, also with heavy security escorts.
They voted at the Tamnag Elemtary School here, where voters’ turnout in some precincts reached 60 percent just two hours after the opening of voting at 7 a.m. Board of Election Inspectors in at least two precincts said Namfrel representatives were not around to monitor the conduct of elections.
Sun.Star tried but failed to look for Namfrel volunteers even at the Catholic Church compound here, which was closed.(Sun.Star Davao)
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