HRET accepts evidence in Lanao Sur poll row

MANILA, Philippines - The House of Representatives Electoral Tribunal (HRET) has accepted all pieces of evidence presented by lawyer Salic Dumarpa to prove his charge that his opponent, Mohammed Hussein Pangandaman, cheated to win as representative of the first district of Lanao del Sur in the May 2010 elections.

Dumarpa said the HRET resolution, which he received last Feb. 6, amounts to a legal victory against Pangandaman, who was reportedly behind him by 11,000 votes during the counting “but mysteriously surged ahead after special elections were held on June 3 and Nov. 13” in 2010.

In Resolution 12-021 dated Feb. 2, 2012, the HRET denied Pangandaman’s plea to reject the offer of evidence made by Dumarpa, saying there is no basis to reject the hundreds of pieces of evidence collected by Dumarpa to prove his allegation that there was massive fraud in the 2010 elections.

“Without necessarily giving weight to the pieces of evidence offered by the protestant, the Tribunal finds no reason to exclude any of the evidence, taking into account their probative value, materiality and competency,” the HRET said.

“While protestee (Pangandaman) objects to some of the purposes for which the evidence are offered, the matter of whether the pieces of evidence will indeed serve the said purposes can be determined when the Tribunal finally evaluates the weight and significance of each piece of evidence,” it added.

The HRET merely noted the objections raised by Pangandaman.