Move to investigate NAMFREL gains support

From the Daily Tribune:

Move to probe Namfrel’s ‘Joecon,’ Luz gains support

Thursday, 06 30, 2005

The United Opposition (UNO) yesterday supported the call of Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., himself once a victim of dagdag-bawas (vote-shaving and vote-padding), for an inquiry into the veracity of allegations of election fraud committed by the National Citizens' Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) lodged by provincial chairman for Lanao del Sur Hadji Abdullah Dalidig.

According to UNO president Makati City Jejomar Binay, Namfrel, the official election arm of the Commission on Elections, because of its critical role of confirming election results officially put out by the Comelec, should be beyond suspicion. But the statements made by Dalidig, he stressed, had put a serious cloud of doubt on the integrity of the Namfrel leadership.

Dalidig claimed he had actual possession of the official Namfrel copies of election returns (ERs) of 38 of the 39 municipalities in his province, and that they did not tally with the corresponding certificates of canvass.

He made the statement in a press conference he held in Marawi City immediately after the May 2004 elections.

Prompted by the “Gloriagate” tapes, the Namfrel official reiterated his claim in the regular Ciudad Fernandina media forum last week.

Dalidig said he brought the discrepancy to the attention of Jose Concepcion and Guillermo Luz, Namfrel national chairman and secretary general, respectively, in a letter duly received by them, but he was totally ignored.

In fact, he noted, the two had issued public statements that the elections in Mindanao were generally peaceful and there was no evidence of election fraud.