Impunity in Camiguin

By Dr. Manuel V. Jaudian

(The following is a report sent by the author who ran for congressman in Camiguin under the PDP-Laban to the party’s national officials.)

THIS is an executive report on the general conduct of the May 9, 2016 national and local elections in the province of Camiguin. Fueled by the battle cry of our presidential candidate Rodrigo R. Duterte for change, our resolve to push through the elections in the manner provided by law and our own supporters’ clamor for change in the island province itself, was even emboldened. We were convinced that given the right motivation and the rule of law, the electorate would rally to our cause by voting as to how their conscience dictates. We hoped an awaking to real and meaningful reform was forthcoming. We were wrong.

The electorate, the majority of which is mired in poverty and lack of proper education, succumbed to the time entrenched practice of patronage politics. Indeed, we were wrong to assume that as a political unit, the voting population has matured somehow. Sadly, it is as immature as before. But all is not lost.

Initial difficulties encountered during this period were the systematic denial of applications to hold a rally. A myriad of excuses were always on hand to virtually deny every request based on even the vaguest of reasons. This holds true from the provincial down to the barangay levels.

Underhanded tactics were almost always employed to disrupt all political rallies conducted even on private grounds, the most common being the installation of loud speakers across the area where our rallies were being staged purporting to be a disco or dance event were it clearly shows otherwise as no participants could be seen.

Power outages or rather an intentional blackout as it may aptly be called was also common. No less than the rally of our presidential candidate was subjected to such a devious scheme in a vile attempt to actually silence the opposition.

Use of government resources and personnel for campaign purposes were also rampant. We have documented instances were it can be clearly shown that indeed government employees where engaging in partisan political activities and government property or facilities used in the process.

The use of threats and intimidation from the administration party were not uncommon. These range from threats of reprisal if found to attend any political activity from the opposition by cancellation of franchises or permits or the denial of pending applications.

On the brighter side, however, despite the threats, intimidations and underhanded machinations, a sizeable number of participants still filled our sorties.

The grim prospect of another election botched by irregularities began to manifest a day prior to the actual voting or on May 8th. I personally witnessed as was reported to me by my supporters, a convoy of administration personnel escorted by no less than the PNP in marked vehicles from the Municipality of Catarman all the way towards Mahinog stopping at various location where throngs of local would congregate. I believe it does not take a rocket scientist to figure out what was happening.

Later in the evening, another manifestation of intimidation through goons appeared. Motorcycleiding men in dark suits totaling to about 20 individuals started to roam the streets crisscrossing our paths with evident intent to harass our supporters and us.

Minor glitches greeted us on this day like the confusion the Comelec-issued identification cards brought about. Informed only in the last minute that an official ID will be distributed, our staff panicked to ensure that our watchers would be allotted one so that they may be allowed to observe from inside the polling precincts. All went well though in the early hours of the morning until later towards noon when the reports of irregularities started pouring in.

We had a legal team ready but it proved to be undermanned. Only one legal representative for every municipality was prepared and it simply wasn’t enough to address the issues and concerns of the watchers in the polling precincts.

The most common complaint was the fact that the BEI allowed an “open voting” or to allow the voters to shade their choices in full view of the watchers without the use of the secrecy folders. We were informed that the voters were paid only after a verification from the watchers that indeed they voted “straight” or as they were instructed to do. We have however documented a few of such irregularities and are currently preparing the necessary documents to file administrative and criminal cases before the appropriate body or tribunal for adjudication.

Another common irregularity was the practice of elective officials to pace around the voting precincts to ensure that their contracted voters fulfill their obligations. We have also documented some of such instances but the most serious incident was in the municipality of Sagay where no less than the brother of the incumbent mayor, himself a municipal employee, was brazenly taking charge of a whole voting precinct by seeing to it, in batches, that their contracted voters were properly accommodated and that their watchers could openly see who they really were voting for. To make matters worse, it was in the voting precinct right beside the one where I was to cast my ballot.

In the same incident involving the brother of the incumbent mayor, the municipal employee brazenly attacked a media practitioner, Richard Vallar, by striking his face with a two-way radio right in front of police officers. He should have been emboldened by the fact that his brother, the incumbent mayor, was with this group of thugs who likewise participated in mauling the media practitioner.

Furthermore, the presence of goons was apparent in almost every voting precinct. Most were masqueraded as members of the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council personnel and have in no isolated times harassed our poll watchers.

I personally witnessed these blatant displays of arrogance from no less than municipal officials and employees and I could only think of one word: impunity.

To assure our supporters of the justness of our cause and to show to the electorate that a clean, honest and orderly elections is still a goal to be desired for better governance, cases should be filed against the erring individuals in the various agencies and or tribunals which could property take cognizance or has the jurisdiction to hear and decide the same. We have already informed the Comelec of our intention to cooperate and or assist in the conduct of an investigation on the widespread election irregularity. Cases before the Civil Service Commission has likewise been filed against individuals who engaged in partisan political activities. A criminal case for an incident of electionelated violence has also been initiated at the initiative of the victim with the full support of the undersigned.

As it has been in the past, the claim by candidates victimized by these illegal practices has never been followed through. In fact, not a single case has been filed before the appropriate body or tribunal that people are beginning to think that the perpetrators are above the law and have allowed or emboldened them to even more pursue their evil desires with impunity. It is in this light that a relentless campaign to pursue these violators to its ultimate conclusion is hereby recommended. It is also believed that in such manner, these individuals will realize that there is a law after all that looks up to an election that truly expresses the electorate’s will.

Lastly, it would not be amiss to state that more trainings and or seminars for our core group be conducted to further empower them to be more vigilant to the sanctity of the ballot and the importance of our collective sovereign will.