Say cheating plan covers 4 regions, 12 provinces
By Victor Reyes
AN umbrella organization composed of retired military and police generals and military-based groups said the Arroyo administration plans to cheat in 16 provinces and regions involving 14.7 million votes.
“Intelligence reports reveal the existence of Oplan Mercury Rising. The operational plan has identified specific areas where massive election fraud will be committed,” said a Bantay Boto document, read by Commodore (ret.) Ismael Appari.
The convenors include former PNP chief Recaredo Sarmiento, former Army chief Lt. Gen. Raul Urgello, and former Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Dominguez.
The group identified the provinces as Ilocos Sur with 345,981 registered voters; Pampanga, 1,131,627; Camarines Sur, 222,691; Cebu, 2,104,738; Bohol, 661,041; Leyte, 940,738; Eastern Samar, 234,559; Lanao del Norte, 484,091; Davao del Sur, 1,232,053; Lanao del Sur, 396,722; Maguindanao, 336,774; and Shariff Kabunsuan, 198,280.
The supposed region-level cheating would be launched in Region VI (Western Mindanao) with 3,667,151 voters; Region XI (Southern Mindanao), 994,552; Caraga, 1,238,982, and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, 572,248.
The figures cited account for 14,762,228 votes or 32.8 percent of the total registered voters.
“These voters are classified as those that can be manipulated,” said Appari, leader of the Young Enlisted Soldiers with Active and Retired Military-Police for Solidarity (YesArms).
The other groups under the Bantay Boto are Bagong Katipunan, also known as the Magdalo Group; Federation of Retired Commissioned and Enlisted Personnel; Grand Order of the Unified Guardians; Para sa Bayan; Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Association, Inc. and Soldiers and Police for Peace and Progress.
The Para sa Bayan, led by former Scout Ranger chief Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim, was involved in the failed power grab in February last year. The Magdalo Group mounted the short-lived Oakwood mutiny in July 2003.
“The respective provincial election supervisors, assistant regional election directors and regional election directors in these provinces and regions were allegedly ordered to see to it that TU (Team Unity) candidates (Michael) Defensor, (Juan Miguel) Zubiri and (Prospero) Pichay should rank in the first three slots,” the document said.
“We also have reports that certain local government and Comelec officials whom we will not name here were offered huge cash incentives to deliver 12-0 in favor of TU and an added bonus was promised if GO (General Opposition) candidate Alan Peter Cayetano gets zero vote,” the document said.
The document also cited an alleged verbal instruction from the office of Armed Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr. to all military commanders to ensure a 12-0 win for TU.
“We also have reports coming from Tarlac, Samar, and Davao Oriental that during the absentee voting in the AFP between May 4 to 6, 2007, Army personnel were instructed to vote straight TU as per order of CGPA (Army Chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino),” it added.
The Bantay Boto document also alleged that the soldiers were guarded by their officers and senior non-commissioned officers “to ensure that they vote as ordered.”
“In one area, the ballots which were in sealed envelops were collected and placed in a mere sack, not ballot box. The soldiers were directed to put their thumb marks and affix their signatures on blank sheets of paper which were collected by HPA (Headquarters, Philippine Army) personnel administering the absentee voting,” it said.
It claimed that the absentee voting was not presided by Comelec officials, only by direct commanders, AFP officers and NCOs.”
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chair of the Senate committee of national defense who was invited as a resource person, said there are already indicators that “cheating and unconstitutional acts are being committed to undermine the integrity of the electoral process.”
He cited the involvement of soldiers in the alleged tearing down of a party list campaign poster in Bulacan, and those supporting the election of the Bantay party list of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, which he said is suspected of being a tool of Malacañang.
Biazon also said soldiers are campaigning for presidential son Dato Arroyo who is running for congressman in Camarines Sur.
AFP public information chief Lt. Col. Bartolome Bacarro said the reports about Oplan Mercury Rising are “bereft of the truth.”
He appealed to the retired generals not to tarnish the image of the military as an institution.
Presidential political adviser Gabriel Claudio, in a text message, said the allegation of Bantay Boto is “a serious claim and accusation” and urged the Commission on Elections to investigate. – With Jocelyn Montemayor
Is this surprising? No way! The criminal at the palace by the murky river is going down history as the most notorious creep that ever claimed herself President of the Philippines, and the great vote stealer in Philippine history. Buking na buking na ang kapal pa rin ng mukha.
BTW, Ellen, I just learned that a son of Assperon is studying in Japan, to be exact in Oita prefecture. I hope the son is not being used as the son of that Garcia of AFP in stashing Philippine taxpayers’ money in some Japanese bank, and reason for why the Unano just seems to love coming to Japan. Her trip to Japan is the 7th time since she grabbed the presidency. Can check with the police if I can get some vital information as a matter of fact. They’d love it.
It’s called “money laundering” and Japan has very strict rules against it.
Ellen,
I had a slightly heated debate with one of Gloria’s appointed ambassadors (but if you’ll excuse me, would rather not divulge the name), I argued that Gloria is corrupt and is a mother of corruption, ambassador counter-argued that not at all the case and that she is a “lightweight” (ambassador’s own words) compared to Ramos and previous presidents.
Oooops, “I had a slightly heated debate with one of Gloria’s appointed ambassadors YESTERDAY…”
What do we expect from a bogus Commander-in-Chief? Comelec chief Benjamin Abalos and the rogue top brass of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are partners in crime to rig again the election results in favor of Gloria Arroyo’s candidates. As usual, Malacanang and General Esperon washed hands for any wrong doings. The Arroyo regime has zero credibility. The military field commanders must defy “illegal orders” from their bogus Commander-in-Chief and her puppets. The AFP has a constitutional mandate as protector of the people and the State. I believe that the 120,000 men and women in the AFP are not Malacanang‘s robots. Rogue generals should be executed on the spot for conspiring to rob the true peoples’ mandate. Sinister ‘Oplan Mercury Rising’ must be derailed.
“We also have reports that certain local government and Comelec officials whom we will not name here were offered huge cash incentives to deliver 12-0 in favor of TU and an added bonus was promised if GO (General Opposition) candidate Alan Peter Cayetano gets zero vote,” the document said.
And came Presidential Adviser Gabriel Claudio quick on his holster to urge the Comelec to investigate when its own officils were allegedly implicated in the Plan. It’s like plotters investigating themselves. Why not ask an independent third party, may the CIA or FBI or the RCMP to investigate instead, maybe we’ll get some results. Oh, the geniuses of so-called advisers…
Rogue generals should be executed on the spot for conspiring to rob the true peoples’ mandate. “Diego
Ito ang matagal ko ng hinihintay.
Iniisip kasi ng mga ‘yan ay napakahaba ang pasensiya ng Pinoy, kaya puwedeng abusuhin. At saka kadalasan hanggang satsat lang tayo, di naman gumaganti, kasi Kristiayano raw – “Bahala na si Lord”.
Puwede na ‘yon? Isaisa na ngang niligligpit, tulog pa rin ang karamihan sa atin.
Ang eleksyon matagal ng dinaya, harapharapan pa ngang ginawa, eh.
Kaya, bukas kung may sisigaw ng Rebolusyon! sasama na ako. And i won’t do it blindly.
Sa senatorial candidates mahihirapan nilang dayain iyan,kasi alam na ng tao kung sino ang may hila sa masa at sila ang iboboto nila,mapa GO man iyan o TU.Alangan naman manalo si kargador na Cayetano o kayay si Victor Wood at Oliver Lozano.Ang dayaan d’yan ay sa Congressional,Gubernatorial,Mayors at mga Konsehal.Ipagpalagay na nating Lumusot si Magsaysay,Joker,Angara at Soto.O kaya’y limang Senator from TU,Talo pa rin sila sa bilang sa Senado.Ngayon baka delikado ang another impeachment ni Arroyo kung sa Congress ay kukulangin sila sa numero.Iyan ang dapat bantayan ang mga dayaan sa Congressman.
Re “Rogue generals should be executed on the spot for conspiring to rob the true peoples’ mandate. ”
Who will execute them? It seems that most members of the in the military today have become yellow and that the only ones left who have not become yellow are incarcerated…
So here we go again. I thought it was easier to say “I’m Sorry” than to ask permission “to cheat”. Hence Oplan Mercury Rising. I admire these group of Bantay boto convenors who are closely monitoring the conduct of elections already mired in a lot of controversies. I remember Lim Seng when he was executed by firing squad at the start of martial law. After him, no one was ever executed again…in public. Maybe it is really time to execute those “rogue military officers” in front of the General Headquarters of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. And perhaps this will be followed by the execution of corrupt government officials, from top to bottom so that finally Filipinos would say that “those who made me weak, frail, poor, indigent and gave me a dreadful and awful life” are now gone. Perhaps the promise of a better life is ahead of all of us. In six days, we will be making our choices. Twenty years of Marcos and twenty years of four other presidents and my life has not changed a bit for the better. What other alternative do i have? God forbids.
The Election in 6 more days is not the matter for a certain person who can mobilize the weak and turn them into hooligans by the snap of the fingers. These election can never be for Esperon and Gloria’s supremacy whose thinking process is so confused, on the basis of some chemical imbalances and lack of Prozac, and on the basis of mental inadequacies that clearly describes her team of TU’s candidates,an elite group of hunk movie looks,gambling lords,spin master on the carnival shows, the son of the president want to become a congressman,a frustrated whistle blower,a kargador and a cuckos nest residence or a boxing champion and the belt was coveted on a fixed fight. It is foolhardy for them to think that running a country is that simple. Only simpletons and dishonest and corrupt people go onto battle known they lack the required know-how and expertise, spend a tons of money in campaign sorties, Of course! They expect some investment in return. Godless, immoral and intelligent fool knows this games and their abilities. Buffoons see the larger picture from a moronic, myopic, psychotic perspectives. These are the main problem and spread like a fatal stage of cancer in our present political structures. Our elected Congressman and Senators some are moronic and idiotic.Gloria manipulated the most majority of them all,The confirmation of Esperon,the dramatic act of Norberto Gonzales that almost won him the best actor award.The shouting match in the Congress.The arrogant of Bunye during his budget hearing,the noted with a broken gavel,the spin lies of Garci and his false teeth almost went flying.The houdini act of Bolante,now you see!now you don’t!Doble’s recanted story.None of the above have suffered any punishment.because we elected weak officials and they can’t protect our interest.
Now, why voters are complaining if the military will manipulate and rig the election results? Who can stop them? What can we do? We the citizens and the voters are the problems, we sold our votes to them, we let them intimidate us, We let them cheat, they kidnaped, they killed, we let them and do nothing, no one cares! When are we going to stop complaining? who will be the first one to resist? Until no one will take action, no justification!
Maybe, we can all answer this queries that posses in our mind for so long when we cast our votes. It’s us forbids, not God!
Thanks to these FEW MEN OF HONOR! Whether they can do something to stop the election cheating is something else. THEY NEED ALL THE HELP THEY CAN GET! If all the comelec levels are corrupt, there must be a way to get the tally figures from the source! There will definitely be more opposition watchers than those of the incumbents’. We have to be more watchfull. All the gadgets we can muster have to be handy and done with speed and precision-cell phones, tape recorders( there are those that are as tiny as a deck of cards which can be hidden in the undies), video cams which can be zoomed in even from a distance(even as far as 30 meters). Make sure that the dates are set RIGHT. Make copies and keep the originals in a safe place. Send the COPIES TO ALL THE MEDIA as soon as possible. DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT, DOCUMENT! LET US BE VERY VIGILANT! THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DEFY THIS ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE TO SHOW OUR “PEOPLES’ POWER” WITH OUR PEN! VOTE!!!
Maybe the emerge of People Power will be in polls this May.
The May elections isn’t about who is going to win. It’s about saving the Philippines from destruction. Until Gloria is kicked out from Malacanan, evil is winning the battle..
Sabi nga ni Binay, Chabeli, it is a referendum on GMA!
Handa na namin ang mga canvas sheets namin para sa eleksyon. Problema, papaano mabibisto ang mga pekeng balota na ipinalit doon sa nakalagay sa inner envelopes
para doon sa mga bumotong mga OFW in 61 countries where voting by mail is allowed. Iyan ang modus operandi ng mga kumag.
Pag nakadaya pa ang mga ungas despite the willingness of many to watch carefully this election, e wala lang solution diyan kundi himagsikan na!
Golly, ang daming kandidato! Pati partylist napuno ng mga tuta ni Demonya! Choice namin sa Japan—GABRIELA, AKBAYAN, BAYAN MUNA para hindi magulo!
BTW, Tony Blair of UK has stepped down. Now, the people of the world can have him prosecuted for helping the mad man at the White House attack Iraq!
Shame on this member of the Oxford U Society!
Yuko, if Blair already stepped down. the tiyanak also should, NOW!!!!