In Lanao, the dead, crocs voted — solon

As in previous elections, the birds, bees, crocodiles, and even the dead might have voted in some areas in Lanao del Norte in the May 14 polls.

"Nakaboto ang mga buwaya at patay sa Karomatan," complained re-electionist Rep. Abdullah Mangotara of the second district yesterday.

Karomatan is now known as Sultan Naga Dimaporo, hometown of the Dimaporo family whose members have been virtual fixtures in the local political landscape.

In Karomatan, Mangotara lost to former Rep. Abdullah Dimaporo, husband of re-electionist Gov. Imelda Dimaporo. He received only 477 votes against Dimaporo’s 22,358.

But in 11 of the district’s 15 towns, Mangotara beat his opponent almost two to one. He polled 41,602 votes against his rival’s 23,884.

Mangotara said it was impossible for him to have received only 477 votes in Dimaporo’s town where he garnered more than 19,000 votes in the 1998 elections.

He said he has hundreds of relatives there.

It was also incredible for his rival to have polled that huge number of votes, he said.

While his wide lead in the 11 towns was offset by Dimaporo’s votes in Karomatan, Mangotara hopes to beat his rival when elections are held on Saturday in Pantar town, which has 8,000 voters.

Last Monday’s balloting in Pantar was postponed due to irregularities.

Former Ambassador Macabangkit Lanto, the gubernatorial candidate Mangotara supported, said based on the results of the recent official census, Karomatan has a population of 36,000, 17,000 of whom are non-voters, or a voting age population of 19,000.

"That shows the statistical improbability of the number of votes received by the Dimaporos," he said.

He said the only explanation for this is that even those who were not supposed to vote cast their ballots for his and Mangotara’s opponents.

Lanto complained that in Barangay Mina in Karomatan, voting was conducted in the house of a certain Rafael Dimaporo.

"Under the law, voting is not supposed to take place in a private house or office," he said.

He said truckloads of "flying voters" were transported from one barangay to another.

Mangotara denounced the Commission on Elections for ignoring their plea to place Karomatan under its control.

"For unknown reasons, our appeal fell on deaf ears," he said.

He added that he hoped Comelec officials would ensure fraud-free elections in Pantar on May 26.