Comelec urged to take custody of poll materials

By KRIS BAYOS
December 9, 2009, 8:33pm







Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/233299/comelec-urged-take-custody-poll-materials


The United Opposition (UNO) on Wednesday urged the Commission on Election (Comelec) to immediately take custody of the election materials that can be recovered in Maguindanao, saying all documents that could provide proof of election fraud during the last two elections in the province should be turned over to the agency for safekeeping.

UNO president and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said the presence of election materials found buried alongside high-powered firearms bolsters reports that the Ampatuans are still keeping documents showing fraud in the previous national elections “The Comelec should immediately instruct the military to turn over to them all election-related materials for safekeeping. We do not want these documents to disappear since these could provide proof of election fraud during the 2004 and 2007 elections,” Binay added.

Binay made the encouragement after the conflicting military reports revealed that election-related documents were unearthed together with high-caliber firearms near the mansion of Maguindano Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. last week.

Col. Leo Ferrer, 601st Infantry Brigade commander, said only voters’ identification cards were buried together with firearms and ammunition and dug up by soldiers in a vacant lot last December 3, Private First Class Domingo Igat was quoted in wire reports as saying that they dug up voters' registration forms and other documents along with the IDs which Ampatuan supporters reportedly tried to burn.

The military reported recovering thousands of voter’s identification cards from a digging near the mansion of Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr. last week. The voters’ IDs were buried together with firearms and ammunition and dug up by soldiers in a vacant lot last December 3, according to Col. Leo Ferrer, 601st Infantry Brigade commander.


Original Story: http://mb.com.ph/articles/233299/comelec-urged-take-custody-poll-materials