VICTORY FOR PEOPLE’S PARTYLISTS!
STOP FRAUD, PROTECT THE PEOPLE’S VOTE!
Common Statement of Five Partylists on the May 14 Elections
May 17, 2007
We thank voters for giving us a fresh mandate to serve in Congress.
From all indications based on our internal quick count, the May 14
exit poll and pre-election surveys we are set to win back the six
seats which we previously won in 2004.
There are strong chances that members of our independent partylist
bloc in Congress. There may be an increase in number with potential
extra seats for Anakpawis and Gabriela, and one each for newcomers
Suara Bangsamoro and Kabataan.
We owe our victory to those who rejected the government’s illegal
campaign against us. In Payatas, Quezon City, where scores of soldiers
harassed our members for months prior to the elections, Bayan Muna
emerged as the top choice.
To President Arroyo and General Hermogenes Esperon, we say: The people
have spoken. Through their votes for our parties, they rejected your
diabolical plot against progressive partylist groups.
The fight however has not ended. The fight continues in the canvassing
stage where we continue to witness dagdag-bawas.
Our Task Force Poll Watch has recorded 156 cases of fraud from field
coordinators, regional task forces and partylist offices, and from
other sources.
For example, in the town of San Luis, in my home province of
Pampanga, the canvassers recorded zero under Bayan Muna’s column. But
after protests by witnesses, our tally was restored to 339.
Poll watchers belonging to GO, the Liberal Party and partylist
groups were barred from entering canvassing centers in Taguig, Quezon
City, Manila, Sorsogon, Batangas, La Union and Cotabato.
Dagdag-bawas operations were reported in Guinobatan, Albay;
Washington, Legazpi City; and Legazpi City proper.
Election returns (ERs) submitted to the municipal canvassing in
Malabang, Lanao del Sur did not contain the pages for partylist
groups. Our pollwatchers smell a rat we join them in excluding these
spoiled and incomplete ERs from the canvassing.
In Tungawan, Lanao del Sur and in Marawi City, votes for GO
candidates were either misrecorded by half or were not recorded at
all. GO senatoriables’ votes averaging 8,000 were slashed to about
4,000; 5,000 votes for Suara Bangsamoro were reduced to 2,000.
These are just some of the reports. These must be exposed and
rectified. One vote cheated is one too many.
We continue to receive and gather reports of fraud. We are in the
process of collating these reports and gathering evidence to back up
the charges of fraud.
We join the people in condemning the violence and disorder that marked
the elections. It is dishonest for anyone to describe an election
characterized by over 120 violent incidents and numerous acts of
fraud, irregularities and disenfranchisement as “peaceful and
orderly”. ###
Rep. Satur Ocampo
Bayan Muna
Rep. Teddy Casio
Bayan Muna
Rep. Liza Maza
Gabriela Women’s Party
Sammy Malunes
Anakpawis
Shamroud Abdulaziz
Suara Bangsamoro
Raymond Palatino
Kabataan Partylist
