Vote-buying, disenfranchisement mar ARMM b’gay polls

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Elections in most areas in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) were generally peaceful, save for some incidence of vote-buying and voter’s disenfranchisement.

There were candidates who complained that the names of some of  their supporters were not in the voter’s list as they accused officials of instigating irregularities in favor of re-electionist barangay officials.

Tawi-Tawi Rep. Ruby Sahali, who is a registered voter in Barangay Pag-asa in the island town of Bongao, said polling in their precincts was peaceful, but marred by vote-buying by moneyed candidates.

“But the exercise was generally peaceful,” Sahali told The STAR in a text message.

Tawi-Tawi, an island province of the ARMM, she said is touted as ARMM’s most peaceful province.

Gov. Esmael Mangudadatu, chairman of the provincial peace and order council (PPOC), said he is grateful to the Philippine National Police and the military for providing security to the polling sites in all of Maguindanao’s 36 towns.

“There were some election-related incidents in some areas, but the general conduct of the elections in the province went without any major hitch,” Mangudadatu said.

Mangudadatu said religious leaders and commanders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front complemented the security initiatives of Maguindanao provincial election supervisor Udtog Tago.

“Local officials, the police and the military helped each other maintain law and order during the election day bayanihan style. Credit should also go to the peace advocacy groups and local election watch groups that monitored the conduct of the elections in the 36 towns in the province,” Mangudadatu said.

Sources from the office of Sulu Gov. Sakur Tan, Jr. told The STAR that most of the winning candidates for barangay position in Jolo, capital town of Sulu, have been proclaimed.