2007 Maguindanao polls ‘irregular,’ witness claims

MANILA, Philippines - A prosecution witness in the electoral sabotage case against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo testified yesterday that although she did not see anyone tamper with the election returns during the 2007 elections, the conduct of the canvassing was “irregular.”

Arroyo’s co-accused in the case are former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr. and former election officer Lintang Bedol.

Susan Cabanban, a former chairman of the municipal board of canvassers for Gen. S.K. Pendatun town in Maguindanao, admitted during cross-examination by lawyer Benjamin Santos that she did not canvass the election returns of the senatorial candidates because there was an order from the provincial capitol that only local results were to be canvassed.

She said the election returns for the senatorial candidates were canvassed at the provincial capitol. When asked if this was normal, she said it was “irregular.”

“The witness knew nothing except that she was just following orders,” Santos told The STAR after the hearing.

The cross-examination of Cabanban will continue when the trial resumes on Aug. 15.

During direct examination, Cabanban said she was asked to copy the entries of election returns on blank returns. She added that the main prosecution witness – Norie Unas, former provincial administrator of Maguindanao – was present when they were asked to copy the election returns.

Other prosecution witnesses who had earlier testified in the bail hearing of Arroyo were Elsa Atinen, Jeehan Nur and Christina de Lope, all municipal election officers in Maguindanao during the May 14, 2007 elections. They pointed to Unas as being behind the alleged operation that tampered election results in the province on June 15, 2007.

They claimed it was Unas, together with Bedol, who ordered them to copy the entries in the certificates of canvass and statement of votes into new forms while they were at the Maguindanao provincial capitol on that date.