Malacanang cheats adjust tactics in party-list canvassing

Vote-padding geared to win seats for fake party-lists, increase required 2% threshold

Party-lists Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and Suara today decried the emerging pattern of massive vote-padding for government-funded party-lists in the canvassing phase.

Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo said that while they expected cases of vote-shaving against progressive party-lists, massive vote-padding for government-funded party-lists is an unprecedented ploy to downplay their groups’ imminent victories.

Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza said that the party-lists are set to file additional cases of electoral sabotage against five to six election officers who violated Comelec Resolution 7859. “This should serve as a stern warning against Malacanang operators and cheats,” said Maza.

The party-lists cited cases of vote-padding for Malacanang-backed party-lists in Cauayan City, Isabela.

Suara Bangsamoro spokesperson Shamroud Abdulaziz expressed fears that this new tactic may greatly affect their votes in the Mindanao region. He specifically cited cases in Zamboanga Sibugay from Summary of Votes No. 0000160 and COC Nos. 0000443, 0000438, 0000444, 0000434, 0000433, 0000442 and 0000436 where padded votes for COOP-NATCO and UNIMAD totaled to 36,609. (see attached table)

“This is another form of electoral fraud that needs to be exposed for what it’s truly worth. The vote-padding may not necessarily amount to winning seats for government-funded party-lists. It, however, cunningly increases the total party-list votes and as a result shoots up the required number of votes to seat one party-list representive,” said Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano.

For his part, Kabataan President Raymond Palatino said, “This tactic affects not only progressive party-lists but other party-list bets that represent the truly marginalized. It is a butchery of the party-list system.” ###

New blog: Poll Watch 2007

Task Force Poll Watch launches its blog today, May 22.

Kontra Daya’s Post-Election Report hits Comelec, GMA gov’t over 2007 polls

Kontra Daya, a broad-based election watchdog formed to expose the very possible repeat of wholesale election fraud in the May 2007 Philippine elections, has issued its Post-Election Report holding the Commission on Elections and the Arroyo administration liable for the questionable elections.

The full text of the Kontra Daya Post-Election Report may be read here.

Caloocan BOC chair face life imprisonment over Kasangga vote-padding

Partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and Suara Bangsamoro will file charges tomorrow against the chair of the Board of Canvassers in Caloocan City in connection with alleged tampering of votes in the city in favor of Kasangga partylist.

To symbolize the partylist groups’ protest, their pollwatchers in Caloocan City and elsewhere will start wearing black armbands.

Kabataan pollwatcher Daniel Cleofas Jr. said he and other pollwatchers witnessed the tampering of votes in at least eleven precincts in favor of partylist group Kasangga, one of the organizations tagged as Malacañang fronts and whose nominees include Malou Arroyo, a sister of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.

According to Cleofas, the vote padding was discovered last night in the following:

In precincts 222-3A and 222-34A, Kasangga votes were increased from one to 81 and 91, respectively.

In precincts 222-6A and 222-36A, Kasangga votes were raised from two to 42 and 62 respectively.

In precinct 222-3A, the votes for Kasangga were increased from three to 53.

In precinct 222-5A, the votes for Kasangga were increased from eight to 98.

In precincts 222-7A, 223-7A, 223-8A, 223-0A and 222-4A, Kasangga got zero, but the BOC padded votes to 50, 72, 98, 70 and 50, respectively.

Atty. Neri Javier Colmenares, Bayan Muna general counsel, said that BOC chair Atty. Juliet Villar is liable for violation of Comelec Resolution 7859, specifically the provision against “electoral sabotage”.

Electoral sabotage is defined as the tampering and changing of votes” and is punishable with life imprisonment.
House Deputy Minority Leader and Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo, Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano and Kabataan President Raymond Palatino will go to the Caloocan City canvassing center today to join their pollwatchers.

Mariano said that “Malacañang operators have apparently ordered its dirty tricks operators to work overtime to cheat in the canvassing stage.

Mariano added that vote-padding in the partylist polls will work against all partylist aspirants because it unduly increases the total partylist votes and consequently the minimum number of votes matching the two-percent requirement for any aspirant to win one seat in the House of Representatives.

“This cheating by and for Kasangga cheats the Caloocan people of their choices, works against all partylists, and denies small parties a fair chance of obtaining seats in Congress,” said Mariano.

Kabataan’s Palatino said that Task Force Poll Watch has documented scores of incidents of fraud and violence since Election Day. ###