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Newsvine's
Jesusa
Bernardo
opined that "Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is seen by the Filipino masses
as a bogus, evil leader who has 'stolen the Presidency not once, but
twice.'" In a commissioned Pulse Asia survey, it was revealed that 58 percent of Filipinos in Mindanao "believed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cheated in the 2004 presidential elections." It showed that the credibility of the balloting process in Mindanao is low because of persistent allegations of election fraud.
The exposure of the "Garci tapes" led to people's protests and massive calls for the president's resignation. Known personalities from the Catholic Church, academe, and even the public expressed their dismay and outrage over the alleged dagdag- bawas or ‘vote padding and shaving.' Some of the President's cabinet members, dubbed the Hyatt 10, resigned from their posts. Protests took place in Makati, Mendiola and other places all over the country. Calls for Arroyo's resignation gained ground.
The national drama ended when the President, looking extremely troubled and teary-eyed, appeared live on TV and said "I am sorry."
According to government watchdog Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CENPEG), "fraud recycles the political dynasties and keeps them in power. It breeds generations of cheaters, corrupt politicians, mediocre executives, bribe takers, absenteeism in Congress. It is part of the lifeblood of bureaucrat capitalism."
Dissecting the evidence
In October 2005, the camp of the late defeated presidential candidate Fernando Poe Jr. released a presentation detailing how the election was allegedly rigged. Their main objective was to "share the truth and put closure to the issue."
Based on the research, fraud apparently happened before, during and after the elections. The presentation detailed a comprehensive paper trail of evidence that followed the votes from the poll precincts up to the proclamation of winners.
The trail of votes started at the precinct level, where voters cast their votes, ballots are filled out and election returns are canvassed. The statement of votes (SOV) and Certificates of Canvass (COC) were brought to the city or municipal level up to the provincial level. COCs gathered at the provincial level were brought to the National Canvassing.
Major irregularities and flaws were discovered by the FPJ for President Movement (FPJPM), composed of FPJ supporters and colleagues from the Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Pilipino.
Among the electoral frauds committed include the obvious "stamping" of ballot serial numbers as opposed to the printed ballot page number. According to the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines, all markings on the official ballot must be printed.
A case in point involves ballots from the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, the President's province. Serial numbers can be copied using numbering machines easily obtained from bookstores, a highly irregular practice which would render the election returns not accountable. The stamping of serial numbers was corrected in the 2001 elections. In 2004, it was back.
The election returns (ERs) are the documents closest to the ballot. They contain the marking which corresponds to every vote read in full view of the voting public and reflect the true results of the voting. In the ERs, the tally of votes for each candidate is closed by the signing of names and affixing of right thumb mark by all three members of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI).
ERs from Floridablanca, Pampanga, were found with improper ER closure tallies as imprints were distinguishable neither as thumb marks nor as human marks. The "taras" or tally marks beside the name "Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo" were also orderly and legibly written, totally unusual during actual vote canvassing where election watchers and BEIs are tired, sleepy and under stress.
The document said, "even more incredible, on the same day, in Las Pinas, about 80 kilometers away, we saw taras written in the same penmanship found in Floridablanca."
Such irregularities bolster suspicions of the fabricating and padding of election results to favor GMA.
This article is the first of two installments. Read the rest of the piece on the Philippine Online Chronicles.
Anatomy of a fraud? (Part 2 of 2)
Photo: “Ballot Boxes” by Eric James Sarmiento, c/o Flickr. Some Rights Reserved
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