Immediately after the polls closed on May 14, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Calderon declared the elections as relatively clean and peaceful. The declaration was made amid the election-related violence, which claimed more candidate’s lives, the spate of political killings and harassments targeting members of progressive party-lists, the failure of elections in Lanao del Sur, allegations of massive fraud and vote-buying by different independent observers’ missions and the allegations of those who monitored the elections that this is one of the dirtiest ever. Apparently, only the Macapagal-Arroyo administration seems to believe their claims; or are we talking about the same elections?

BY FLON FAURILLO
Bulatlat
Vol. VII, No. 15, May 20-26, 2007

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