Legarda presents ‘evidence’ of poll fraud

Former Senator Loren Legarda presented yesterday several documents, which she claimed would prove the massive fraud in the elections last year.

At a weekly forum in Manila, the defeated vice presidential candidate showed three alleged tampered election returns (ERs) from three precincts covering the presidential and vice presidential race.

The first ER from a polling precinct in Southern Leyete province showed President Arroyo receiving 267 votes and her runningmate Noli de Castro receiving 268.Opposition candidate Fernando Poe Jr. and Legarda received identical number of votes of two each, but the total number of votes listed in the ER was 271.

"Whoever falsified the electoral return did not know how to count," Legarda said. She also compared ERs from a precinct in Angeles City, Pampanga and Mandaue City, Cebu.

A handwriting expert, formerly with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), said the same person wrote on the tally bars of the two ERs from different regions.

"What I am showing you is only the tip of the iceberg. This is surgical or prefabricated fraud," she said.

The former senator explained that even before the counting of ballots was completed, unscrupulous people had dictated the number of votes a candidate would receive.

Meanwhile, Presidential Political Adviser Gabriel Claudio said it was wrong for Legarda to bring her evidence before a media forum because her protest is being heard by the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET).

"It might not be appropriate or proper to raise this issue before a media forum and show tabulation sheets because there is a pending electoral protest against Vice President de Castro. I don’t think its proper or legal to show it in public or in other fora outside the PET," he said.

Legarda explained that presenting evidence at a media forum was only a way to even the battlefield because her opponent has more opportunities to express his side, being part of the administration. – Evelyn Macairan