Voter’s ID and Election Materials Found; A Key to the “Hello Garci?”

The powerful Ampatuan clan have always been suspected  of vote rigging every election in Maguindanao in favor of the administration candidate. After the declaration of Martial Law not only large quantities of weapons and ammunitions are recovered but even voters IDs. About 3,000 voters ID had been found at the back of the house of Mayor Anwar Ampatuan of Shariff Aguak. What does this mean, this may simply confirm suspicion that the Ampatuans are preparing another round of election fraud or cheating again in Maguindanao for the 2010 election.

According to Senior Superintendent Alfonso Pagkaliwanagan, Regional Mobile Group chief for Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) the election documents appear to be original. The COMELEC is also surprised why voters ID and other election materials found their way to the house of the mayor? Nobody but the election officer could only keep voter’s identification cards once released by the poll body’s head office according to James Jimenez of the COMELEC.

The Ampatuans, who have been accused of engineering widespread electoral fraud and cheating in the province, had been allegedly instrumental for President’s Arroyo’s taking over the lead against FPJ and become the winner in the 2004 presidential race. Similarly during the 2007 senatorial election the clan  allegedly orchestrated widespread  election fraud in Maguindanao not only for themselves but for the administration senatorial candidates as well.

That’s why many still fear, despite the declaration of Martial Law in Maguindanao which lead to the arrest and filing of murder and rebellion cases against the clan, of the whitewashing of the Maguindanao massacre and eventually the acquittal of the primary suspects who may have been erroneously charged of rebellion because the president is simply indebted with the Ampatuans.

Of course you don’t also expect the COMELEC this time to conduct an in-depth investigation in so far as the  voter’s ID and election materials found at the backyard of  Shariff Aguak Mayor Anwar Ampatuan. This may not even serve as a key to solve the “hello Garci” mystery. What’s the use for? Everybody knows that Garci  had allegedly cheated for the president already, and the president said in television, ” I am sorry.”

What is more outrageous than the massacre of innocent civilians and journalists that should be condemned uprightly? And what is more scary than the defrauding of people of their electoral rights? On the other hand to declare martial law without rebellion in Maguindanao is tantamount to controlling the province’s votes in 2010. But what should scare us more as the electorate is replication on the imposition of martial law to other provinces in the country (particularly Mindanao) perceived to have a huge concentration of goons, gun-for-hire and private armies.

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