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In ComVal, ‘kamang’ rules as military turns partisan

by
May 23, 2007

A soldier peers into the vehicle of foreign observers en route to Compostela Valley on Election Day. (Cheryll Fiel) Slideshow

Apart from the vote buying and harassments by candidates and their henchmen, the heavy presence of the military dominated the atmosphere in Compostela Valley before and during the elections. The soldiers were supposedly sent to the province to augment the police and keep the peace but, according to officials and residents, the military was directly involved in incidents of intimidating or harassing voters and vilifying partylist groups.

Comelec praises soldiers, blames voters for missing names

by
May 23, 2007

On the allegation that soldiers campaigned against partylist groups, Comelec official said it was within a soldier’s right to do so. On the missing names in precincts, he had this to say: “What happens is that when people do not see their names right away, they immediately complain.” He said voters were not diligent enough to look for their names.