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Tuesday, June 01, 2004
Polls in Cebu clean, fair: Barug Pilipino
NO MASSIVE cheating happened in Cebu during the May 10 presidential elections as alleged by Maguindanao Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, Barug Pilipino said yesterday.
“We Cebuanos take pride in the way civil society, the local Comelec and the church work together closely in a non-partisan manner to bring about honest, open and meaningful elections in Cebu,” said a press statement read by Paul Hubahib.
Hubahib said this idealism is reflected by the Cebu-Citizens Involvement in Maturation People’s Empowerment and Liberation (C-Cimpel), a church-based nongovernment organization that is the local arm of the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel).
Hubahib said that in a May 13 statement, C-Cimpel assessed the elections as generally fair and peaceful.
This, despite the usual electoral confusion, like locating voter’s names and precincts, delays in the delivery of election paraphernalia and lapses of some board of election inspectors.
Hubahib read the statement of Barug Pilipino, a civil society group, during a media briefing by Cerge Remonde, chairman of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas and media bureau chief of the K4 administration party.
However, Remonde explained that Barug Pilipino’s statement is spontaneous and not inspired by Malacañang. Hubahib said allegations of massive and systematic fraud in Cebu, therefore, disregard and run counter to the experiences of the more than 19,000 committed and competent C-Cimpel volunteers fielded in all towns and cities of Cebu to monitor the elections.
He said that a few instances of electoral lapses could not match the assessment of this tested army of volunteers.
Cebuano legislators led by Reps. Raul del Mar and Antonio Cuenco as well as Provincial Election Supervisor Edwin Cadungog have raised an uproar over the allegations Dilangalen made during the joint session of Congress last week.
Dilangalen, a failed opposition senatorial candidate, had alleged vote padding in the election returns in Cebu City and six towns for President Arroyo.
Congress, convening as the National Board of Canvassers, started yesterday counting the votes for president and president, after a week of debate over rules of canvass.
“Sweeping and unfounded statements merely contribute to an agitated atmosphere our nation can ill afford. We need to defend our democracy, respect the electoral process, and say no to any form of manipulation and violence by any groups, parties and institutions,” Hubahib said.
Barug Pilipino reiterated the call of Ricardo Cardinal Vidal to remain sober but vigilant in awaiting the official results of the elections.
“We pray that more sober, reasonable voices would lend calm to our troubled land. We need to get on with the huge task of nation building as united and God-loving Filipino citizens,” Hubahib said. EOB
(June 1, 2004 issue)
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