Word war over alleged election fraud in Isabela heats up

SANTIAGO CITY — The head of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) in Isabela has joined the worsening verbal tussle between Bishop Sergio Utleg of the Diocese of Ilagan and provincial board members.

In a strongly worded pastoral letter read in all IFI churches last Sunday, Bishop Eulogio Pandongan, of the Diocese of Santiago, called on the members of his church "to unite in this most critical time when justice, freedom and democracy in this province are once again denied upon us."

Pandongan was referring to the conduct of the special elections in the province’s fourth congressional district, which Utleg earlier alleged to be the "most fraudulent" in the province.

In his pastoral letter, Pandongan said, "The May 12 special elections in Isabela’s fourth district have been maligned with injustice, cruelty and greed." Once again we were used as pawns by power-hungry politicians whose only main goal is to remain in power no matter what the cost."

"Freedom and democracy in the province of Isabela (are) virtually dead," he said, urging his flock "to consolidate our voices, unite to fight for justice, freedom and democracy in the province."

Unlike Utleg, though, Pandongan did not ask that the special polls be declared a failure and that Giorgidi Aggabao’s proclamation as the new representative of the province’s fourth district be voided.

In a pastoral letter earlier read in all Catholic churches in the province, Utleg asked for the declaration of failure of elections and the voiding of the proclamation of Aggabao.

Members of the provincial board, in a resolution, condemned Utleg’s pastoral letter "in strongest terms" and demanded that the bishop reconsider it.

Based on the canvass of the fifth copies of the official election returns conducted by the non-partisan Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), Dr. Asuncion Abaya (Lakas-NUCD) garnered 46,072 votes versus Aggabao’s 41,103 votes in the seven municipalities and one city comprising the fourth district.

Abaya is the widow of Rep. Antonio Abaya, whose death prompted the holding of the special polls.

The official canvass of the election returns, however, yielded a different result — Aggabao won by more than 13,000 votes over Abaya.