EDITORIAL - MAY 13 - 19 Issue

People Listen To Kalibo Comelec
Appeal For Trust

"I hope this time the people will trust the Comelec."
This appeal and message came before the May 14 election from Kalibo’s new election officer, Francisco Palomar for Kalibonhons and Ak-lanons in general in the national and local elections.
Palomar agreed that previous events had badly affected the Comelec and deteriorated its integrity. He hoped that would not happen again. He vowed to do his best as steward of Comelec-Kalibo.
Palomar also said that to attain this, all election laws should be implemented in Kalibo in coordination with the Philippine National Police of Kalibo, Aklan.
"We have a superb working relationship with the local PNP here," Palomar said.
He has nothing but praises for Kalibo PNP Chief Arnold Ardiente and his men. According to him, Ardiente goes around the town to check on illegally-posted campaign materials and scraping or detaching those which are not posted in common poster areas.
Palomar, however, admitted the Comelec and the PNP have no control over those which are displayed in residential houses even if these did not adhere to the regulated sizes of posters."Some residences displayed streamers which are supposed to be displayed only during rallies," Palomar pointed out.
"Our teachers who comprised the Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs) were prepared", he assured. The teachers who served in the elections received P3,000 each. They got half of that amount before the elections from their respective municipal treasurers. Our election paraphernalia were ready, and we expected a very peaceful and orderly election in Kalibo," Palomar stressed.
Palomar also reminded everyone to observe the banned activities during the election period, like the gun ban, liquor ban, dances and cockfights.
And the election in Kalibo was peaceful and orderly. The winners were proclaimed on Thursday afternoon, May 17. While Mayor Raymar A. Rebaldo, other winners and their supporters were jubilant inside the Kalibo SB Session Hall during the proclamation of winners, supporters of defeated candidates simultaneously held a very peaceful protest rally outside.
It is safe to say that Aklan held a very peaceful and orderly election. However, in general it is doubtful to conclude that Aklan has credible election.
Other than the firing of guns in Buruanga, no related election incident happen.

153 POLL
CASUALTIES

As of May 17, some 153 died of election related incidents. Can we call this peaceful? As announced by the chief, Philippine National Police, the Philippines held her most peaceful, orderly and credible election on May 14.
Moreover, 10 died on election day alone while 116 were injured in election related violence. Can we call that peaceful?

Foreign Observers

According to a team of 21 foreign observers, election in Muslim Mindanao was manipulated by outsiders. It was a hot situation in Mindanao specifically in Sulu and Tawi-tawi and the atmosphere was not coducive to elections in the places visited. They did not feel safe as they experienced two bombing incidents in polling centers and encountered two armed groups. They cannot say the election was fair. There were cases of vote manipulation, there were lots of coaching inside pricincts where people were being commanded to write the names of candidates other than their choices. They observed flying voters in truck loads. They also observed the Philippines’ antiquated voting process.
They observed vote buying based on their talk with some voters in the area which price is very cheap - P20.00 per voter. They attributed the increasing political dynasty in the Philippines to the clan system./MP