manila — Anakpawis Representative and political detainee Crispin Beltran today said that all efforts must be exerted to ensure that Malacanang will not be able to sneak in more of its Team Unity candidates in the Top 12 through cheating. Beltran said that it was already clear that Malacanang is machinating to have Genuine Opposition candidate Alan Peter Cayetano dropped from the winners’ circle by having votes for him invalidated on the grounds of a paltry legal technicality.
“The fight is long from over and the Macapagal-Arroyo administration electoral fraud machinery is sure to kick in anytime soon given how obvious it is that the TU candidates are trailing behind those of GO. Reports that Pres. Arroyo is now highly busy making phone calls and that there are countless incidences of ER switching or theft do should all the more make the Filipino people vigilant. We must not allow a repeat of the ‘Hello, Garci’ scam and allow the Arroyo government to secure a stolen victory,” he said.
Beltran said that the Comelec and the Supreme Court should immediately settle the motion of candidate Alan Peter Cayetano in the latter’s favor because it’s patently clear that the supposed confusion over his surname is a controversy deliberately generated by Malacanang to keep Cayetano out of the senate.
“We hope that the Supreme Court will immediately settle this issue and not wait for the end of the canvassing. It’s a serious injustice that Alan Peter Cayetano is being forced to fight for votes which he rightly won. It’s impossible not to see the hand of Malacanang behind this. Alan Peter Cayetano has been a big thorn on the side of Malacanang ever since he fought for Pres. Arroyo’s impeachment and called for investigation into the First Gentleman’s foreign bank accounts. What’s happening right now has the signs of Palace retaliation written all over it,” he said.
2007 Elections
