The recent Social Weather Station (SWS) survey that showed many Mindanaoans believe cheating in elections to happen again indicates the public still perceives Malacaang and the Comelec to engage in fraud.
It also indicates that the people have not gotten over the 2004 elections where electoral fraud happened in the region.
“We can’t blame Mindanaoans for thinking that this elections will be similarly fraudulent and violent. Mindanao has always been the staging ground for state-perpetrated fraud and violence,” says Zaynab Ampatuan, national chairperson of Suara Bangsamoro Parylist.
Ampatuan cited the experiences in Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao where vote-shaving, padding, flying voters and harassments were prevalent in 2004.
The Moro leader noted that additional military deployments, establishment of more checkpoints and the conduct of pulong-pulong indicate that this again “may be used for dirty politics and harassments of voters. Some pulong-pulong are used to sow smear campaigns against candidates and partylists.”
Ampatuan also noted that the survey also showed many people in Mindanao believe harassments will likely occur compared to Visayas and Luzon.
Ampatuan appeals for more vigilance on the part of the voters this coming election. #
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2007 Elections
