Tarlac tutors willing to testify on ‘poll fraud’

GERONA, Tarlac — Some of the public school teachers here, who were charged for allegedly taking part in alleged poll fraud that benefited an opposition candidate, said they are willing to become state witnesses, but expressed fear for their lives and their families’.

The People Power Coalition (PPC) in this home-province of former President Corazon Aquino, however, assured those willing to testify that they will be given "proficient professional protection."

This, as the coalition warned that it "will not leave any stone unturned in sending behind bars" Commission on Elections (Comelec) personnel, government employees, public school teachers and police officers who took part in the "widespread, systematic cheating, vote-buying and terrorism" in the province during the recent elections.

Early this week, the PPC filed criminal, administrative and civil charges against this town’s election officer, Gerardo Gonzales, and Dante Mata, Santiago Viray Jr. and Teodoro Cabanes, municipal assessor, treasurer and engineer, respectively.

The four officials were accused of conniving in a dagdag-dagdag (vote-padding) operation favoring councilor-elect Manuel Milla, who belongs to the opposition Sama-Sama sa Tarlac-Nationalist People’s Coalition (SST-NPC) of re-elected Gov. Jose Yap Sr.

Also accused of taking part in the poll fraud were Venancio Tabbilos, representative of the education department to the municipal board of canvassers, and public school teachers Himaya Bumagat, Engelbert Agunday, Isaias Gregorio, Jose Domingo and Nelia Dalgo.

Milla edged out PPC re-electionist councilor Regina Laxa-Balmores for the eighth and last slot in the municipal council, by only 46 votes. More than 350 votes were allegedly added to his tally during the municipal canvassing.

But some of the accused teachers, who asked not to be named for "security reasons," claimed that they did not take part in the alleged fraud.