by John Bello June 15, 2019 Lanao del Sur gubernatorial candidate and ex-TESDA chief Gene Mamondiong (in black, right) talks with Abner ...
by John Bello
June 15, 2019
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| Lanao del Sur gubernatorial candidate and ex-TESDA chief Gene Mamondiong (in black, right) talks with Abner Malabanan (in white) and Fatima Abuy (in red) at Ada's Spa and Resort Multipurpose Hall in Bgy. Gibanga, Sariaya, Quezon during the group's stopover enroute to Comelec main office in Manila. (JOHN BELLO) |
SARIAYA, QUEZON – Over 100 vehicles travelled by land and wended their way from Marawi city to the central office of the Commission on Elections to stage their protest in the conduct of elections last May 13 and to call on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte to declare the failure of elections in Lanao del Sur.
Various protesting groups banded together and urged their supporters and voters of the province to ‘Unite as One for Lanao Del Sur” to denounce the massive vote buying, pre-shading of ballots, substitution of votes, manufactured election results and alleged involvement in the election of supposed non-partisan agents of the government.
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| The vehicle caravan from Marawi City going to Comelec main office in Intramuros, Manila. (Foto grab) |
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| The protest rally at the Comelec main office in Manila. |
On Sunday, the group led by losing gubernatorial candidate of Lanao del Sur Gene Mamondiong, former head of Technical Education Skills and Development Authority, along with several provincial and municipal candidates of the province and some supporters had their stopover at Ada’s Spa and Resort in Bgy. Gibanga here. They had shown a video presentation of the election irregularities in several municipalities of their province such as the rampant vote-buying done openly, pre-shading of ballots with connivance of the board of election inspectors in several polling precincts, and government soldiers and policemen standing outside the voting centers in cahoots with the perpetrators of election frauds.
Fatima Abuy, herself a losing gubernatorial candidate in Quezon province, said that what was shown in the video pointed to the widespread election irregularities committed in the far-off province of Lanao del Sur and proved that it could have happened in many parts of the country.
Abuy, Abner Malabanan, a losing mayoralty candidate in Tayabas city, Susan Caballes and Jefferson Albis, who ran both as councilors here but lost also witnessed the video presentation. They were all members of Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Central Committee (MRRD-NECC) along with media practitioners and Sentinel Times news correspondents Ace Fernandez and Lyndon Gonzales.
MRRD-NECC is a nationwide organization advocating for the shift to federal form of government from the present unitary-presidential form of government in the country which is one of the platforms of governance of Duterte even before he ran for president in 2016.
Mamondiong said they have already filed their protest manifestation with the main office of the Comelec and their protest caravan which started from their province would show to the Comelec that they are serious in their protest rally and that they have the evidence to back up their claims and allegation of massive election irregularities in their province. He also expressed the hope that Pres. Duterte would listen to their pleas and do something to resolve what happened in Lanao del Sur in the midterm elections.
“Lanao del Sur is one of the poorest province in Mindanao and in the entire country and it is because of well-embedded corruptions committed by political families who have long held power in our province,” Mamondiong told Abuy, Malabanan, Caballes and Albis.
At the protest rally, 3 Lanao del Sur gubernatorial candidates – Sultan Bob Datimbang, Agakhan Sharief Benladin and Hatta Dimaporo - joined the protesters at the Comelec main office in Manila on June 11.
The Comelec tally on May 22 with 87.93% of election returns showed that Mamintal Adiong Jr. who ran under Lakas-NUCD obtained 234,199 votes followed by Mamondiong who ran under PDP-Laban who got 41,483; Sharief with 24,329 votes; Dimaporo with 20,857 and Datimbang with 12,222 votes.
Adiong was already proclaimed by the Comelec, along with his son, Mujam Adiong as vice governor-elect and his older brother, Hooky Adiong as congressman-elect of the First District of Lanao del Sur.
On June 12, Adiong, the governor-elect of Lanao del Sur, has welcomed Pres. Duterte to the province during the celebration of the 121st Philippine Independence at 61B Camp Matling, Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
Fatima Abuy, herself a losing gubernatorial candidate in Quezon province, said that what was shown in the video pointed to the widespread election irregularities committed in the far-off province of Lanao del Sur and proved that it could have happened in many parts of the country.
Abuy, Abner Malabanan, a losing mayoralty candidate in Tayabas city, Susan Caballes and Jefferson Albis, who ran both as councilors here but lost also witnessed the video presentation. They were all members of Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte-National Executive Central Committee (MRRD-NECC) along with media practitioners and Sentinel Times news correspondents Ace Fernandez and Lyndon Gonzales.
MRRD-NECC is a nationwide organization advocating for the shift to federal form of government from the present unitary-presidential form of government in the country which is one of the platforms of governance of Duterte even before he ran for president in 2016.
Mamondiong said they have already filed their protest manifestation with the main office of the Comelec and their protest caravan which started from their province would show to the Comelec that they are serious in their protest rally and that they have the evidence to back up their claims and allegation of massive election irregularities in their province. He also expressed the hope that Pres. Duterte would listen to their pleas and do something to resolve what happened in Lanao del Sur in the midterm elections.
“Lanao del Sur is one of the poorest province in Mindanao and in the entire country and it is because of well-embedded corruptions committed by political families who have long held power in our province,” Mamondiong told Abuy, Malabanan, Caballes and Albis.
At the protest rally, 3 Lanao del Sur gubernatorial candidates – Sultan Bob Datimbang, Agakhan Sharief Benladin and Hatta Dimaporo - joined the protesters at the Comelec main office in Manila on June 11.
The Comelec tally on May 22 with 87.93% of election returns showed that Mamintal Adiong Jr. who ran under Lakas-NUCD obtained 234,199 votes followed by Mamondiong who ran under PDP-Laban who got 41,483; Sharief with 24,329 votes; Dimaporo with 20,857 and Datimbang with 12,222 votes.
Adiong was already proclaimed by the Comelec, along with his son, Mujam Adiong as vice governor-elect and his older brother, Hooky Adiong as congressman-elect of the First District of Lanao del Sur.
On June 12, Adiong, the governor-elect of Lanao del Sur, has welcomed Pres. Duterte to the province during the celebration of the 121st Philippine Independence at 61B Camp Matling, Malabang, Lanao del Sur.
