Puwersa opposes early proclamation

The Puwersa ng Masa-Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino branded yesterday as suspicious and arbitrary the decision of Commission on Elections Chairman Alfredo Benipayo to proclaim the top eight senatorial candidates tomorrow.

Makati Rep. Agapito "Butz" Aquino, LDP secretary general, noted that seven of the top eight candidates belong to the administration-backed People Power Coalition (PPC).

The top eight vote-getters are Noli de Castro, Sen. Juan Flavier, Sergio Osmeña III, Sen. Franklin Drilon, Rep. Joker Arroyo, Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Rep. Manuel Villar Jr., and lawyer Francis Pangilinan.

Only De Castro, an independent, does not belong to the PPC. "Partial proclamation would give unfair advantage to the administration," Aquino charged.

He claimed that partial proclamation gives premium to cheating, since the PPC can now focus their efforts in ensuring that Batangas Rep. Ralph Recto makes it to the Magic 13.

He proposed that the Comelec withhold any proclamation until all 13 winners are determined.

Aquino noted that based on the official Comelec count, PPC’s Francis Pangilinan, who is in eighth place, has only 16,904 more votes than Puwersa’s Edgardo Angara, who is in ninth place.

"There is an insignificant vote difference of only 251,854 between Angara and sixth placer Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. of PPC. From Pangilinan to Sen. Gregorio Honasan who occupies the 12th slot, there is a difference of only 275,149 votes," he added.

He also pointed out that the votes in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, an opposition bailiwick, have only been partially canvassed.

"We expect the votes from the ARMM to make a big difference in the final results of the elections," he said.

He cautioned against any arbitrary pegging of the cut-off votes on who should be proclaimed and who should not since the difference in votes among numerous candidates is too insignificant.

"Fairness and impartiality demand an all-or-nothing proclamation among the senatorial candidates," Aquino said.

He urged all Comelec commissioners to oppose the partial proclamation of senators.

In a related development the opposition urged the Comelec yesterday to continue looking for more irregularities in the counting of votes for Recto.

Jesus Crispin Remulla, Puwersa spokesman, made the appeal as the latest Comelec tally showed Recto had slid down from 10th to 13th place after the poll body started looking at reported vote padding Mindanao.

Remulla said the opposition is convinced that Recto had indeed lost in the recent polls and that there are attempts by the PPC to salvage his victory to maintain the Arroyo administration’s claim of an 8-5 win for PPC.

"If the Comelec would not let pass this reported cheatings in Mindanao, Recto would definitely lose the race. And we hope the Comelec would not allow itself to be used in efforts to make Recto win through fraudulent acts," Remulla said.