Lanao town voters ask Comelec for special elections

Voters were prevented to go inside the

polling precinct in Barangay Calilangan,

Balabagan, Lanao del Sur They asked

President Rodrigo Duterte to conduct

special elections. (photo provided)

By JONG D. CADION

BALABAGAN, Lanao del Sur (May 16, 2018) – Voters and aspiring candidates of this town lodged a complaints against the administration candidates who allegedly violates the rules and regulations of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) during the May 14, 2018 for the Barangay and Sangguning Kabataan elections. Candidates who were affected and victims of massive fraud have urged President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to intervene for them to conduct a special elections.

The Barangays that are seriously affected by alleged violations and fraud are Barangays Buenavista, Kalilangan, Tataya, and Lumbac while Barangay Narra will be for annulment.

Barangay chairperson candidate of Calilangan, Almirah Sampiano said that her opponent, Samirah Benito’s supporters had padlocked the ballot box after five of the supporters of the wife of Vice Mayor Jover Benito casted their votes with filled up ballots and tried to add more ballots in the ballot box that cause the commotion in the pooling precinct.

 Buenavista incumbent Barangay chairman Limena A. Sampiano said that his opponent Barangay Chairwoman Omie Omayhaira Padrangan Inog with her husband as her watcher and also a teacher I of Balabagan Trade School were allegedly sow terror and terrorize the conduct of elections by not allowing the supporters of Sampiano to vote. He said after casting the votes of five of the supporters of Inog, her husband padlocked the ballot box and went out bringing the ballot box with them. Sampiano said his watcher was punched by Bagian Guiday Inog when protested and tried to block the ballot box snatcher. He said he himself was not allowed to vote.

In his part, spokesperson of incumbent Barangay chairperson Anie Pangcoga Sampiano of Barangay Tataya , Zaiton Isreal Pangcoga said that when ballot box was arrived in Arabic School at around 9:00 in the morning. The Board Election Inspector (BEI) started to call the voters and allowed five or seven electors with already filled up official ballots and cast their votes. The commotion started when their watchers started to make trouble and the security forces did not bother to interfere. The watcher that made the trouble went to Vice Mayor Jover Ogka Benito and the army did not do anything. He said their supporters were not able to vote with his wife being the incumbent chairperson of the barangay because the BEI ordered to padlock the ballot box with the order from BEI Wilma Ali.

Norminah Hadji Casan Morro, aspirant for Barangay chairperson of  Barangay Lumbac disclosed that when they arrived at the polling precinct supporters of her opponent Abbas Tonio Casan blocked the way and her supporters were not able to cast their votes. She said even her father whose age more than sixty years old was not able to vote also because the brother of her opponent Zamzuddin Casan prevented him to go inside and blocked him. Morro said she was the only voter allowed to vote by her opponent. Morro holding a photo showing the son of her opponent blocked the entrance together with another person. She said when her Barangay councilors were able to fill up the ballots, the BIE ordered to close the ballot box so that official ballots of her councilors will not be cast to the ballot box. 

Solaica Abdulgani Zamar, incumbent Barangay chairperson of Barangay Narra said that even before the start of voting, supporters of her opponent were hurt done by the supporters of her opponent. When the ballot box arrived supporters of her opponent blocked the gate. She said not even one of her supporters were able to vote. After their supporters cast their votes the watcher of her opponent locked the ballot box. In her shown photo, the ballot box was allegedly transported through the service vehicle of the son of the mayor.

Bainah Casan Disalongan, chairperson of Barangay Occidental Magulalong said that when the voting started the BEI started to call the supporters of her opponent and when it was casted in the ballot box the BEI ordered to padlocked the ballot box and her supporters were not able to vote. She said that when the canvassing started they were able to put off the light and tried to cast more than fifty ballots in the ballot box but was snatched by her supporter and was already filled up stating the names of her opponent and they BOC counted them without signature.

Incumbent Barangay chairman Abdillah Asimpin of Barangay Ilian and also the Vice Chairman of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Balabagan chapter asked the intervention of President Rodrigo Duterte of what had happened to the conduct of elections in their town. He said that they want a special election because of less than 60 percent turned out cast of votes in every barangay. He said that there was no agreement of barangay clustering because there was no consents of all the barangay chairman. He said when the cluster of barangay happened they were not allowed to enter in the polling place. He said when the voting started he saw that the aspirant candidates were inside the voting center when the incumbent and their supporters were not allowed to enter and cast their votes. He said he even introduced himself as the incumbent chairman but he was told that it was the order of the comelec official not to allow anybody in the polling place. He said days before the elections, a peace covenant was held where the concern officials warned that anybody who violates the elections regulations will be arrested and the battalion commander told them that the order of brigade commander of  103rd brigade Col Gene Ponio even if the violators candidates will win still the army will disqualify them. He said they are expecting that what was agreed will be followed. He said that they were allowed to enter at around 1:00 Pm and that it will be a short time to vote. He said four commotions occurred in his barangay because of violations and misunderstanding by both parties. He said that he had evidence that even his son was also hurt due to the commotions. He said that his son was beat by a kagawad candidate. “I already filed a complaint”, Asimpin said.

Alinor M. Pangcoga, a watcher of the Barangay chairperson Anie Pangcoga Sampiano said that when they entered the voting precinct the BEI called the names of five supporters of the aspiring candidates and voted. He said that when the Barangay Chairman of Tataya confronted the BEI chairman why he was given favor to the aspiring candidates. He said a commotion was transpired at the polling place done by the two watchers of the aspiring candidate and padlocked the ballot box. He also noticed that before the ballot box was padlocked he saw official ballots were casted inside the ballot box. The watchers were using belts to beat them and the security forces did not bother to help them. He said that what was agreed in the peace covenant was not followed.

Merlita Agni, a watcher of Almera Sampiano of Barangay Calilangan, said when the five supporters of the aspirant candidate casted their votes, other supporters of the said aspirant candidates padlocked the ballot box and when the supporters tried to put more ballots to the ballot box ,Angni snatched the ballots from the supporters of the aspirant candidate.

An elector of Barangay Buenavista, Mombao Sampiano, has urged the president to intervene for them to have a special elections in Balabagan because of massive fraud done by aspirant candidate Barangay chairwoman  Omairah Inog and her watcher husband Bagian Guiday Inog. She said that after five of their supporters to cast their votes, husband padlocked the ballot box and box the watcher Abdullah Sampiano of incumbent Barangay Chairman Lemina Sampiano by Bagian Inog and Abel Pagdangan.

Former Vice Mayor Quirino Sampiano made an appeal to Duterte for them to have a special elections for Barangay and Sangguniang kabataan. He said in barangay Barorao having four precincts when the canvassing was done, the candidates tried to add more ballots to be counted even without the signature of the chairman.

The incumbent Barangay Chairmen of affected barangays of Balabagan town Lanao del Sur made an appeal to President Duterte to have a special election in their respective barangays due to the political intervention made by Mayor Edna Ogka Benito and Vice Mayor Jover Ogka Benito.

“Sana mabigyan kami ng special election… dahil nakikialam po ang Mayor at Vice Mayor namin dito, kay hindi po naka boto ang mga tao dahil hindi sila pinapasko sa military. Nasabi namin na bias ang army na inutusan sila ni Vice Mayor Jover Benito,” Incumbent Brgy. Chairman Abdillah Asimpin of Barangay Ilian, Vice Chairman of the Liga ng mga Barangay of Balabagan chapter told the reporters.

A watcher of administration candidate Abbas Tonio Casan who blocked the gate of polling place in Barangay Lumbac, Balabagan, Lanao del Sur that prevented the voting of the supporters of Norminah Hadji Casan Morro .  (Photo provided)

Supporters of administration candidate Samira Benito, wife of incumbent Vice mayor Jover Benito padlocked the ballot box and tried to put more official ballots in the ballot box after five (5) supporters cast their votes in Barangay Calilangan,Balabagan, Lanao del Sur. (photo provided)

 Bagian Guiday Inog, a watcher and husband of candidate for barangay chairperson Omie  Omayhaira Padrangan Inog in Barangay Buenavista, Balabagan, Lanao del Sur who allegedly mauled watcher of incumbent Chairman Limena Sampiano  after confronting him why he padlocked the ballot box after five (5) Inog supporters cast their votes. Inog is also a teacher of Balabagaan Trade school. (photo provided)