NR0927:Loss of electoral returns, ballot boxes to the benefit of illegitimate prez, vice-prez

From the Office of Anakpawis Rep.Crispin Beltran
News Release
September 27, 2005


House leadership should take responsibility for missing ballots,electoral returns and ballot boxes – Rep. Beltran

Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran today said that the mystery of the missing ballots should be solved because it holds the key to the massive fraud perpetrated by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and vice-president Noli de Castro in the May 2004 polls. He said that the allegations that the missing 150 ballot boxes containing election returns (ERs) from Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Surigao del Sur should be immediately found. In the meantime, those responsible for the security of the ballot boxes should be questioned, which means the Congressional security staff detailed to guard the ballots.

Beltran insisted, however, that the main accountability rests with the House leadership. “The House leadership should be made accountable for the missing ballot boxes and their contents. No one could have touched those ballot boxes much less taken them without clear directives from House authorities. Investigations should be made into this development,” he said.

“They could not have simply disappeared into thin air. The ballot boxes have been under lock and key for over a year, but who else has access to these locks and keys? Who else will benefit from the loss of evidence pointing to massive poll cheating?”

“But it isn’t as if this is all a total surprise. Most likely, the ballot boxes and their contents have long been spirited away, months before the Hello, Garci tapes were exposed. Pres. Arroyo and her allies would have acted swiftly and decisively to clean up all proof of the fraud, and the surest way would be to sequester the lot -- the much contested ballots, election returns and ballot boxes,” he said.

“What all this proves is that there really was electoral fraud perpetrated in May 2004. The contents of the taped conversations between Mrs. Arroyo and Comelec commissioner Virgilio Garcilliano already verified that the president did have knowledge and in fact worked hard to ensure that the fraud is perpetrated by at least 1 million votes. The missing election returns, if found, would more than likely yield the said missing votes taken from the standard-bearers of the leading opposing party led by Fernando Poe Jr.,” he said.

“It’s evident that the allies of Mrs. Arroyo and the poseur-president herself will go through great lengths to make sure that any attempt to expose the truth behind their electoral fraud will be defeated. How can a recount be implemented if the returns are missing? The administration is making sure that the recount attempt is dead in the water even before it starts.”

Beltran said that the political crisis over Mrs. Arroyo legitimacy as president will continue to drag and will stop if the inevitable goal is met, that of her removal from power. “If it’s not taped conversations, it will be missing ballot boxes. Then there are the relentless charges of corruption and exposes regarding her officials’ secret deals to perpetuate her and themselves in political power. Mrs. Arroyo will never be allowed to rest securely and confidently on her seat as president. All her remaining days as executive however many she will be derided and accused of being the impostor president, her credibility severely attacked and undermined. The scandals and controversies surrounding her presidency will continue to hound her and will contribute to her administration’s instability,” he concluded. #