The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now investigating poll officials in Pagalungan, Maguindanao for proclaiming losing candidates as winners in the May 14, 2007 elections.
The investigation, according to a Comelec official, stemmed from the poll body’s findings that the municipal board of canvassers (MBOC) of Pagalungan made the proclamation based on the canvassed election returns (ERs) from only 19 clustered precincts.
The ERs from 36 other precincts, the Comelec official added, had not yet been canvassed when the proclamation was made. An ER contains the summary of votes in each polling precinct.
The MBOC was composed then of chairman Eliza Gasmin, vice chairman Juliet Acosta, and Delia Daniel.
In their affidavits, the local poll officials said they merely followed the order of Maguindanao election supervisor Lintang Bedol to make the proclamation although the canvassing was still incomplete.
The candidates proclaimed in the May 2007 elections in Pagalungan town were Otho Montawal (for mayor), Macabangen Montawal (vice mayor) and Mohamad Antoy, Buagas Kambang, Mama Mamasalangat, Samad Mamualas, Abdulrahman Matalam, John Patric Matalam, Kutin Samal and Macabpong Matalam (councilors).
Those who questioned their proclamation were mayoral bet Datu Norodin Matalam, vice mayoral candidate Salik Mamasabulod, and municipal council aspirants Siokum Abedin, Talutakan Aijun, Omar Maglangit, Khasan Mamasabulod, Rahma Matalam, Charito Montawal and Abdila Musa.
Records show that in an earlier investigation, the MBOC officials explained that while they were canvassing the ERs in the Pagalungan town hall, there were grenade explosions and armed men roaming around.
Members of the board of election inspectors and other people in the session hall fled for their safety, taking along the ballot boxes containing the ERs, they said.
The canvassing was moved to Shariff Aguak town but many of the ballot boxes were not returned immediately. The poll officials said they consulted Bedol about this and he directed them to proceed with the proclamation.
Earlier, the Comelec cited Bedol for indirect contempt when he failed to explain poll irregularities in Maguindanao in the 2007 elections. A case of election sabotage is being readied against him.
Records also show that the Comelec created a special MBOC to canvass the ERs from the remaining 36 precincts in Pagalungan, and the results showed that Matalam’s party won the race.
In a resolution dated Nov. 7, 2007, the Comelec nullified the proclamation of Montawal’s group and declared Matalam and his allies the winners, the Comelec official said.