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Monday, May 14, 2007
Maguindanao voting over 2 days ahead of polls: MILF
ZAMBOANGA CITY -- Two days before Monday's elections, voting had reportedly been finished in all but one of 20 municipalities in Maguindanao, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said.
A report it posted at its website luwaran.com, the MILF, the country's largest Moro rebel group, said voters had already finished casting their votes as early as Saturday and results showed all senatorial candidates of Arroyo's Team Unity making it.
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The only exception is Pagalungan, where the mayoralty and other seats are hotly contested.
The MILF alleged Sunday that a high-ranking government official had promised to pay P3 million to each municipality in Maguindanao that could ensure a 12-0 victory for Team Unity in the province.
"Each municipality in Magunidanao which can deliver 12-0 for administration senatorial candidates are promised P3 million by a high government official," the MILF said.
Officials in 19 of the 20 municipalities had already complied with the order and the casting of votes had already been concluded as early as Saturday in favor of administration senatorial candidates.
"The people would be allowed to go to polling places (Monday) and cast their votes but this has no bearing at all, because those would not be counted anyway and the certificates of canvass have been already been prepared," the MILF reported.
The MILF also claimed that National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales stayed in Lanao del Sur "to ensure the victory" of gubernatorial candidate Omar Ali, who is running under the secretary's Partidong Demokratikong Sosyalista ng Pilipinas party.
Ali promised that if he wins, he would bring to his province American troops for joint exercises with Philippine soldiers.
It also said the revelation came a day after reports came out that genuine election returns and ballots were being peddled in Mindanao for P40,000 to P60,000 per set.
The official ERs were allegedly sold to the highest bidder and unscrupulous candidates. The officials had started filing out the ballots and ERS to ensure their victory even before Monday's voting, the MILF report said.
An ABS-CBN report said that "operators" would replace the actual ERs with the "prepared forms."
The cheating would be virtually undetectable since the original ERs would be replaced with the prepared ERs that bear the same security features as those used in the actual voting.
Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the poll body would investigate the allegations. (Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (May 14, 2007 issue)
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