Thanks Garci, ARMM bets say

DAVAO CITY— Thank you, Garci.

Two of the leading candidates in the Aug. 8 elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) expressed their thanks to controversial former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano for figuring in the wiretapping scandal.

Garcillano, who has remained in hiding, was suspected to have manipulated the election results in the ARMM in last year’s general elections allegedly in favor of President Arroyo.

"This is really ‘thank you, Garci’. Now, we can be assured that the ARMM elections would be conducted in such a credible manner," said former ARMM vice governor Jimmy Matalam, one of the leading candidates for regional governor in the ARMM.

Matalam told The STAR that Garcillano’s act in the 2004 elections would serve a lesson in the coming ARMM polls.

"The coming ARMM election would be a barometer that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is capable of holding and ensuring clean, honest and credible election on Aug. 8," said Datu Ibrahim Paglas, former mayor of the town of Datu Paglas in Sultan Kudarat.

Paglas said if not for Garcillano, the elections in the ARMM and also the entire country would continue to be tainted with suspicions of fraud and cheating.

"Garcillano has paved the way for an election that hopefully would be expressive of the true will of the people, particularly in the light of the recent political developments where the credibility of the Comelec was put on the spot," Paglas said.

Of the seven candidates for ARMM governor, only Paglas and Matalam attended yesterday’s signing of a peace covenant initiated by the Comelec at the Marco Polo Hotel.

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos gave assurances that measures have been put in place to safeguard the ARMM elections, which will be held in the provinces of Lanao Sur, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Basilan and Maguindanao.

Paglas likewise submitted proposals for safeguarding the ballot to the Comelec in the conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Paglas suggested that all election paraphernalia, particularly election returns should be distributed to the board of election inspectors on the early morning of election day itself.

"In that way, it would forestall the practice by some politicians of retaining in their possession the election returns and filling up the same, or even of voting one day before or on the eve of the election day," Paglas said.

He also suggested that the canvassing of election returns be centralized. Another proposal is for the military be directed by the Commission to retrieve all ballot boxes and bring the same to the counting center.