Atty. Ignacio Baya

        Party-list groups Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis, Gabriela Womens Party, Kabataan and Suara Bangsamoro filed case against Zamboanga del Sur PBoC Chairman, lawywer Ignacio Baya,Vice chairman, lawyer Victorian Gonzaga and Member-Secretary Visminda Serato, as well as Cleofela Rapisura and Wilfredo Pulido, tabulators in the Province and some Jonh and Jane Does, for violating Section 42 of Republic Act (RA) 9369 and Section 58 of Comelec Resolution 7859 for engaging in vote padding also against the party-list groups.

            Under RA 9369, the crime of electoral sabotage  includes acts committed by canvassers who tamper, increase or decrease the votes received by the candidate in any elections. The penaltyn is life imprisonment.

            Comelec Resolution 7859, meanwhile deals on the rules in the conduct of elections.

            The case filed against the PBoCs of  Zamboanga del Sur, headed by lawyer Baya, the complaining party-list groups alleged that the poll Officials had been engaged in vote padding for other party-list groups in the race for congressional representation of marginalized groups

            According to the complainants, the votes of Aangat Tayo, Ahonbayan, Alliance for Rural Concerns, Anak Mindanao, Ang Laban ng Indiginong Filipino, A Smile, Buhay, Coop-Natco, Kakusa and Unimad were purprtedly padded in the ballot results from the towns of Molave, Tabina, Midsalip, Josefina, Lapuyan and Ramon Magsaysway.

            Bayan Muna votes were also padded by about 4,000. But the militant party-list groups' counsel pursued the case to put those who sabotage the will of the people behind bars.

            "In sum, the provincial CoC and SoV (statement of votes) of the province of Zamboanga del Sur, when compared to the municipal CoC of each and every municipality thereof, shows a discrepancy of one hundred eighty thousand six hundred fourty-four (180,644) votes," the complainants alleged.

            "Noticeably, this is a classic case of dagdag-dagdag bawas (vote padding-shaving). The vote for the concerned party-list groups were tampered with and increased by adding on another or more digits to the actual number of votes received,' the group futher said.

            Although there was no hard evidence to show that they did as charged, the complainants said it was apparent that the PBoCs were the ones responsible for the tampering of the SoVs in the province.

            "Only the member4s of the Canvass Committee and its tabulators or members of the Provincial Board of Canvassers could have been responsible for the tampering of votes in the Statement of Votes by municipality because the said CoV could have only been tampered with when it was under their custody.

            "These respondent s have the duty not to alter these SoVs without following the procedure outline by law or Comelec rules. There are responsible  for ensuring that these SoVs are not tampered with by others," the party-list averred in their suit.

            This is not the first time such a case has been filed against the poll  officials in the elections held last May 14. The same militant party-list groups also filed a similar case agaqinst the PBoCs of Zamboanga Sibugay last May 29. (with reports from Kristine V.Torres)

Last update : 18-06-2007 19:04

Average user rating

   (0 vote)