BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat
ELECTION WATCH / BREAKING NEWS
May 15, 2007 – 11:17am

The cause-oriented group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance) has scored the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for declaring yesterday’s elections as peaceful.

“The PNP and the Comelec continue to paint a rosy picture of the elections,” said Bayan chairperson Dr. Carol Araullo. “There is hardly any recognition of the gravity of the problems of violence, disenfranchisement, vote-buying and outright vote manipulation.”

As the polls drew to a close yesterday, PNP Director General Oscar Calderon said the national police had noted a “relatively peaceful” situation nationwide. “I am confident that this will be the ultimate outcome until the entire election process is completed,” Calderon said.

Comelec commissioners had issued similar statements in a number of media interviews.

Based on the PNP’s own data released earlier this morning, however, a total of 215 election-related cases of violence have been documented, with 126 people killed and 148 wounded. Sixty of the casualties were candidates – both reelectionists and new contenders – while 66 were either supporters of politicians or ordinary civilians.

The poll watchdog Kontra Daya yesterday reported a number of ballot-snatching incidents in vote-rich Mindanao, which has a total of 10.8 million registered voters based on Comelec data.

Gunshots and a blackout reportedly occurred in Wao, Lanao del Sur, according to Kontra Daya. Failure of elections has been declared in 14 towns in the said province.

In Zamboanga del Sur, Kontra Daya reported, a grenade exploded just five meters away from a polling precinct, wounding one Alejandro Blanca.

In Quezon Licab and Guimba, Nueva Ecija, around 200 supporters of incumbent mayor formed a barricade preventing mayoral candidate Denis Alejandro from entering the polling precinct to cast his vote.

Ballot-snatching incidents were also reported in Caloocan City.

“How can they say that the elections are peaceful when more than 100 have died and the death count is expected to get higher?” Araullo said.

“This is what sham democracy is all about,” Araullo added. “Thousands can’t vote. And those who can vote are being bribed. We urge other elections watchdogs to be cautious and circumspect before they absolve the Comelec and the Arroyo administration from any liability in the current elections.” (Bulatlat.com)

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