Audit group: Zubiri’s victory 'statistically impossible'

An independent audit group came out with a report showing that elections in Maguindanao province was marred by fraud that largely benefited newly proclaimed senator Juan Miguel Zubiri. In the 15-page Citizens’ Audit Report of the 2007 National Elections released on Friday, Halalang Marangal or the Network of Citizens for Honest Elections and Truthful Statistics, said Zubiri “is the biggest beneficiary of the Maguindanao certificates of canvass fraud because it puts him in the winning circle of senatorial candidates, dislodging Pimentel." Zubiri overtook Pimentel by a lead of 19,292 votes in the last tally of the Commission on Eelections. Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr read during the July 14 proclamation of Zubiri that the administration senator got a total of 11,004,099 votes, while Pimentel garnered 10,984,807 votes. Halal, however, said that an audit of Comelec tallies from Maguindanao would show that Zubiri’s lead over Pimentel in Maguindanao was “statistically impossible." Halal cited discrepancies between the total votes and actual votes in six Maguindanao towns to prove that Zubiri’s 20,519 lead over Pimentel in said areas was an “impossibility." Halal said that in the towns of Datu Anggal Matimbang, Paglat, Ampatuan, Pagalungan, South Upi and Sultan Sa Barongis — where Zubiri got his lead — the ballot fill up rates were higher than 12, “which (are) statistically impossible." Halal said that this means that some ballots contained more than 12 names of senator. The group said that another way to show this impossibility is to multiply by 12 the number of voters who actually voted, to get the highest possible number of votes in the municipality. In the six towns, Halal said “the actual total votes for senator exceeded this maximum theoretically possible number." The group cited that actual voters in Datu Angal multiplied by 12 senators would only yield maximum total votes of 62,544. But in the Comelec’s tally, total votes for the said town was 72,342, or a ballot fill up rate of 13.88 percent per voter, exceeding by 1.88 the statistically possible rate of only up to 12. In Paglat, maximum total votes was only 54,336, but Comelec tally showed that total votes was 54,380 , equivalent to a ballot fill up rate of 12.01 percent per voter. In Ampatuan, maximum total votes was only 123,696 votes, but total votes was 123,928 votes or a ballot fill up rate of 12.02 per voter. In Pagalungan, maximum total votes stood at 28,704 votes, but total votes reached 29,802, or a ballot fill up rate of 12.46 per voter. South Upi’s maximum total votes was 113,532. This, however, increased to 115,139 votes or a ballot fill up rate of 12.17 per voter. Finally, in Sultan sa Barongis, maximum votes was only up to 102,360. But total votes increased to 113,553 votes or a ballot fill up rate of 13.31 per voter. Total maximum votes for the six towns was 485,182, but the total votes was 509,144 or a difference of 23,962 votes. Halal said that the “statistically impossible results" from the six Maguindanao municipalities alone gave Zubiri a 20,519-vote net lead over Pimentel. “Without these, Zubiri’s final 19,292-vote margin over Pimentel would disappear, taking him out of the winning circle," Halal said. Halalang Marangal is a non-profit, non-partisan consortium of groups and individuals who conduct a citizens' audit of Philippine election tallies. The consortium's convenors are former Senator Wigberto Tañada, retired General Francisco , former Comelec Commissioner Mehol Sadain, former St. Scholastica's College president Sr Mary John Manansan, 2004 TOYM awardee Atty. Ma. Paz Luna, Philippine Rural Reconstruction Movement senior vice-president Isagani Serrano, and Philippine Greens Institute Executive Director Roberto Verzola. - GMANews.TV