Comelec to critics: Show proof of massive disenfranchisement

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) dared its critics yesterday to back up their claims of "massive disenfranchisement" of voters in last Monday’s elections.

Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra cried foul over allegations by Catholic priest Fr. Joe Dizon and his civic group Patriot that many were denied their right to vote due to missing names especially in supposed opposition bailiwicks in Southern Tagalog, Central Luzon, Bicol, and Mindanao region.

Dizon and Patriot cited in particular Pangasinan, bailiwick of opposition candidate Fernando Poe Jr. where disenfranchisement was reportedly at 50 percent.

"Give us (the) figures so we will admit or deny but do not make wild accusations. That is not fair," Borra said. "We have reports from the field and the turnout was comparatively high."

But when pressed for their turnout report Borra said: "We will be giving statistical data in due time but at this time we could not say disenfranchisement (is) at 50 percent."

Voting on Monday in over 300,000 polling precincts across the country was marred by incidents of violence, widespread complaints of missing names, incomplete voters’ lists and late delivery of election materials.

Dizon and members of his group, including some foreigners, held a protest rally in front of the Comelec central office in Intramuros, Manila yesterday afternoon to express their disgust over the poll body’s alleged lapses in ensuring a credible election.

They will be more specific in their allegations at a press conference today, Dizon said.

Foreign observers will be making assessments as well, he added.

Borra, on the other hand, maintained a 70 to 80 percent voters’ turnout projection, or about 30 to 35 million voters from a total of 43.5 million voters.

"That is even conservative. We would like to be prudent. It is not good to over-exaggerate," said the election commissioner.

Borra, however, admitted there were a lot of difficulties regarding the voters’ list but said remedial measures were undertaken to solve the problem of missing names and erroneous entries.

Meanwhile, the Comelec is aiming for a complete official canvassing by the end of the month, faster than the 1998 general elections.

Borra said the poll body would convene for national canvassing at 10 a.m. on Saturday and hopes to finish this in 15 days.

In the 1998 elections, the Comelec took more than 20 days to complete the canvassing.

The poll body, however, would limit its official count to the 12 senatorial seats and party-list representatives, although it will collect certificates of canvass from all provincial, city, and district board of canvassers. Only Congress can proclaim the winning president and vice president.

If the Comelec schedule is observed, it expects tally results at the municipal level in 36 hours, 48 hours in the city level and within 72 hours in the provincial level, according to Borra.

There are some 17,000 elective seats being disputed from municipal councilor to president.

National canvassing will again be held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.