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Saturday, June 16, 2007
Comelec: No failure of elections in Maguindanao
MANILA -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc, sitting as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC), announced Friday that it has ruled out special elections in Maguindanao after local candidates were able to prove that polls took place in the province.
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"There was no failure of elections precisely because of documents received. With these evidence now forwarded to us, there is no failure of elections," Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos told reporters.
With the decision, the fate of senatorial candidates Juan Miguel Zubiri of Team Unity (TU) and Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III of the Genuine Opposition (GO), who are vying for the 12th and final Senate seat, will be known next week.
The latest Comelec count showed Pimentel, who is occupying the 12th spot, with 10,865,397 votes and Zubiri, who is not far behind, with 10,753,836 votes. Pimentel's lead is only 111,561 votes.
If the certificate of canvass (COC) from Maguindanao is tabulated, Zubiri will oust Pimentel from the 12th place. Pimentel only got 67,057 votes while Zubiri received 195,823 votes in the province.
Given this scenario, Zubiri will beat Pimentel since the TU bet will have a total of 10,949,659 votes once the Maguindanao result is added to his current votes while Pimentel will only have a total of 10,932,454 votes.
Abalos said Attorney Pete Cuadra, lawyer of governor-elect Andal Ampatuan, submitted documents as evidence that local officials were proclaimed in the Maguindanao.
But more than determining if elections indeed occurred in Maguindanao, Abalos said he will go to Maguindanao to verify the documents.
"We will go to Maguindanao to see what are these documents are and see if we can use these to reconstitute the special set of provincial board of canvassers (PBOC)," Abalos said.
A representative of election officers (EOs) in Maguindanao earlier informed the commission that they are holding "certain election accountable documents." These were not brought to Manila yet "due to financial reasons." (MSN/Sunnex)For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Zamboanga. (June 16, 2007 issue)
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