3 new witnesses back Bedol's claim of '07 poll fraud

Three new witnesses to the reported cheating in the 2007 midterm elections are now in government hands and have submitted their respective affidavits detailing what they knew of the alleged regularity to the Commission on Elections. In separate affidavits executed July 18, acting Shariff Saydona Mustapha election officer Saliao Amba, former Sultan sa Barongis acting EO Magsaysay Mohamad, and computer voters' list technician Salonga Edzela said they were afraid of what would happen to them had they spoken out about the irregularities that they witnessed during the 2007 polls in Maguindanao. "I just kept silent because I know that it would be dangerous for me to say my observations," Amba said in her affidavit. Missing ERs Amba said a day before the May 14, 2007 elections, the election returns (ER) of the municipality of Mamasapano in Maguindanao were missing. She said that when they inquired where the ERs were, they found out that these were in the possession of a man named Butch, who is supposedly one of the men of Engineer Norie Unas, the provincial administrator of Maguindanao and allegedly a close confidant of then-Governor Andal Ampatuan, Sr. She said Butch did not turn over the ERs to the board of election inspectors (BEI) before the opening of the polls, as required during elections. Instead, Butch allegedly turned over the ERs after polling closed. Moreover, she said the ERs were already filled and had the signatures and thumbnails of BEIs even before canvassing began. She also said the ERs did not have the thumbnails of poll watchers. The tally later on resulted in zero votes for senatorial candidates Benigno Aquino III, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Panfilo Lacson, and the highest number of votes for Chavit Singson. A few days later, she said then provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol informed them that the election documents that were supposed to be transported to Manila were stolen. She said Unas then gave them a new set of prepared ERs, certificates of canvass, and statement of votes. "He instructed me to affix my signature on the certificate of canvass and statement of votes," she said, adding that the ERs were later on authenticated by then Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos and commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer. Forced to sign blank ERs Mohammad said that on the morning of election day, some men "identified" with Unas asked the BEIs to sign and thumb mark black ERs for the national candidates for their respective precincts. The men reportedly took the ERs to the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak. "Some BEIs complained but they could not do anything about it. I observed everything but I just kept quiet," he said. "I know that the counting for national candidates did not anymore take place because there were no more ERs and the same having been previously taken by the men of Engineer Unas," he added. He also said that it was Unas, the then-provincial administrator, who provided them the ERs to be submitted to the provincial board of canvassers. But he said that when he was ordered to bring the copy of the ERs after the poll documents were stolen, he noticed that the results of the ER given to him by Unas were different from the ones posted on the bulletin board of the Sangguniang Bayan. Mohammad said Ferrer authenticated the posted ER. Both Abalos and Ferrer had denied taking part in election anomalies in 2007. Doubts in authentication On the other hand, Edzela attested that he was the one who confirmed that election materials were indeed stolen from Maguindanao on May 30, 2007. He also said that Bedol had told him that he did not attend the BEI's meeting with Abalos and Ferrer because "he cannot with conscience authenticate the genuineness and authenticity of the documents exposed to all elements for a long time." Bedol was pertaining to the supposed copies of the stolen ERs provided by the BEIs to the two Comelec officials. "At that time I cannot understand Atty. Bedol's actions well so I just left and attended the hearing," he said. During the said hearing, Edzela said Abalos and Ferrer manifested as authentic and genuine each of the ERs submitted by the 22 EOs. The affidavits of the three were in support of Bedol's statement that Abalos and Ferrer authenticated Maguindanao election documents that were supposed to be spurious. Bedol also recounted that he was ordered by ex-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo — through Ampatuan Sr. — to make sure that Cayetano, Lacson, and Aquino would “get zero votes." At a press conference on Wednesday, Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes that they cannot say yet whether Bedol's statements were credible. He noted, however, that the affidavits of the three new witnesses seemed to have basis. "Sinasabi nila sila ang nakakita... sila ang directly involved (They say they witnessed everything, and that they were directly involved)," he said. - KBK, GMA News