Witnesses: Ex-poll chief ordered rigging of 2007 votes
September 21, 2011
MANILA — Two election officers have tagged former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chief Benjamin Abalos of rigging the 2007 senatorial polls to favor Arroyo administration bets.
Two provincial election supervisors from Mindanao claimed that Abalos forced them to participate in activities to ensure that the twelve candidates of the Arroyo administration won over their rivals, 12-0.
The special instruction came no less from the former chair of the Comelec, Benjamin Abalos and ostensibly, on instructions from upstairs, from the Palace,” Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said on Monday when she presented the two witnesses.
In their affidavits, the two witnesses said that sometime in 2007, the acting director for Soccsksargen (Region 12), a certain lawyer Michael Abas, informed all the region’s provincial election supervisors of Abalos’s 12-0 instructions in their areas.
These were the claims made by Lilian Suan-Radam and Yogie Martirizar, who were acting provincial election supervisor (PES) and chairpersons of the provincial Board of Canvassers of South Cotabato and North Cotabato, respectively.
Abas gave them the impression that these instructions came from the top, which both Radam and Martirizar understood to be former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, now a member of the House of Representatives.
During that same day, provincial and regional election directors, including Radam and Martirizar, were then summoned to a meeting in Davao City by Abalos. In that meeting, the instruction for 12-0 was reiterated, both witnesses said.
Abalos also provided them with extra copies of certificates of canvass (COC) and statement of votes (SOV) bearing the same serial numbers to authenticate and other election forms.
“The said thing disgusted me. However, I have no willpower to challenge him and the illegal instructions for the same was accompanied by veiled threats,” said Radam.
She said that in her case, Abalos referred the possible filing of a case against her in relation to the May 6, 2006 Kabuntalan Special Elections and dismissal from service, that she was sure will destroy her career.
During the press conference on Monday, De Lima said that she will instruct prosecutors to inform a Pasay regional trial court that both witnesses are considered government witnesses and will therefore be under the Department of Justice’s Witness Protection Program.
Both are possible prosecution witness in the ongoing fact-finding probe being conducted by the DOJ and the Comelect regarding alleged irregularities in the 2004 and 2007 elections.
The Pasay court has issued a warrant of arrest for Radam, who was earlier charged for election sabotage by newly sworn Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, after the Senate Electoral Tribunal declared him as the 12th winning senator in the May 2007 elections over Juan Miguel Zubiri, his closest contender for the post.
The DOJ chief said that she will consult the joint investigating panel to invite both Abalos and Abas for questioning so that they may be subject to the investigation and she can issue a watch-list order on them.
“It is only now that I came out and tell my story because it is only now that the time is right for me to tell the truth. The situation before is not susceptible to tell the truth,” Radam told the press.
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2011/09/20/witnesses-ex-poll-chief-ordered-rigging-2007-votes-180342
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