Only 11 of 1,118 questionable registered voters validated by ERB in Lanao del Norte

By JONG CADION 

MAGSAYSAY, Lanao del Norte --- Only 11 out of the 1,118 questionable registered voters appeared personally to the reconstituted Election Registration Board (ERB) of the Commission on Election (COMELEC) during the conduct of hearing in order to validate the questionable registered voters in Magsaysay, Lanao del Norte last March 15, COMELEC official said.

Isabel Balicuatro, election officer of kapatagan, Lanao del Norte who served as member of the reconstituted ERB of Magsaysay said that only 1,027 of the 1,118 questionable registered voters were notified to appear in person before the ERB to validate their registration records in compliance COMELEC en banc resolution number 0016 directing investigation and validation of doubtful registered voters applicants.

Election officer Balicuatro also said the other questionable registered voters were not notified as they cannot be located. She said the the list will be evaluated one by one. She said, “sad to say, only a few or less than one percent of those notified responded to the call for appearance”.

 

Isabel Balicuatro, election officer of

Kapatagan, Lanao del Norte

(Photo By FERDS LIBOR)

Election officer Balicuatro disclosed that the original members of the ERB had inhibited themselves as members of the Board. The other members of the reconstituted ERB include Atty.Amer Basher, election officer of Tubod and Hylon Cali who served as board secretary.

She said that during the first round of evaluation only ten applicants showed up and in the second round of evaluation will be the whole afternoon up to five (5:00PM). She said eight allegedly minors were appeared for evaluation and all of them are college level and were foundout as qualified voters.

She said another two birth certificates of minors were brought by their mothers so they were not included in the evaluation as they were not around. She said there were registered voters with different pictures.

Balicuatro said the ERB will submit its findings and recommendations to the COMELEC En Banc for consideration.

Ambassador Akmad Omar, who is running for mayor of Magsaysay and who is the responsible for the petition for the evaluation of 1,118 questionable registered voters out of the more than 9,000 voting population in the said town expressed his gratitude and happy to the action COMELEC Chairman Andres Bautista for investigation and validation of doubtful registered voter’s applicants registration records. thru en banc resolution.

Ambassador Omar said that the previous election officer of Magsaysay has registered people who are none existence using pictures from the internet. He said he wants to have a clean registration records to prevent any cheating during election.

Former Middle East Ambassador Akmad Omar

Interview by the reporters at the municipal plaza

In Magsaysay town, Lanao del Norte

(Photo By FERDS LIBOR)

He said the previous election officer must be charged for conducting irregular, anomalous acts of registration of people do not exist using factious pictures including Virgin Mary and movie stars from the internet. He said that the irregular and anomalous registration were conducted through investigation barangay official with the municipal mayor as mastermind.

He said the previous election officer with irregular, anomalous and scandalous who conducted the irregular, anomalous and scandalous registration must be charged for violating election laws.

Magsaysay Mayor Haironi D. Omar who is the younger brother of Ambassador Omar flatly denied any involvement in the alleged irregular, anomalous, and scandalous acts, saying that he is innocent and did not order to make such irregular anomalous and scandalous acts. He said the question registration records had been there for years and the registered voters have casts their votes in prior election in the municipality.

 

Magsaysay Mayor Haironi D. Omar

(Photo By FERDS LIBOR)

Mayor Omar said he run for mayor for three terms without oppositions. He said he allowed his wife to run for mayor in 2016 due to demands of the people to prevent supporters and leaders from trouble due to hotly contested election. He said he is on his third and last term of office as mayor.

Mayor Omar said when news broke out that Ambassador Omar will run for mayor of Magsaysay and that former mayor and congressman, Haron D. Omar, another elder bother will also run for mayor, the people thought the political fight will be hotly contested and the people will be divided.  He said the reasons he allow his wife to run for mayor to unite the people. (with reports from Mariz Revales and Phil Paalan)