Maguindanao Poll Fraud Witness Shot Dead
It’s that time of the year again when we Filipinos celebrate our independence from our former colonial masters. The significance seems to have passed us in the way the nation retrogressed to its lowest ebb especially in an election season marred by violence and fraud.Musa Dimasidsing a Maguindanao schools district supervisor who was reportedly a witness to the fraudulent conduct in the last election became another statistics fatally shot in the chest and face. He was one of those who helped expose the election irregularities in Pagalungan town, Maguindanao killed outside the madrasah (Islamic school) last Saturday of
Dead man tell no tales, silenced forever to prevent executing the much touted “affidavit required” by the likes of “promoted” LINTANG BEDOL and his commissioner bosses in the comelec led by Abalos and “sickly” Sarmiento.
Before Dimasidsing killings he has reportedly filed a complaint against several members of the Board of Election Inspectors after accusing them of committing irregularities in the canvassing of results in Pagalungan.
His fate was sealed as soon as he confirmed the teacher witnesses testifying on harassment and intimidation by local political operators said to be those behind the irregularities in the town’s election.
The education supervisor also reported to authorities that four ballot boxes were snatched by armed men believed working for a politician in Pagalungan during the May 14 elections.
Meanwhile Pagalungan vice Mayor Norodin Matalam contesting his loss to administration candidate Uto Montawal in the mayoral race says that the killing of the education supervisor has something to do with the May 14 election. According to Matalam the victim along with other of the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI), was being forced to sign a petition stating that there were no poll irregularities and atrocities during the elections.
Dimasidsing refusal to sign the petition may have caused him his life. This is what happens when one stands up against irregularities and the situation is aggravated when people in authority are inept, ignorant or arrogant devious conniving cheaters that insidiously perpetrate this kind of violence. It does not help the situation and only put witness at risk when they seem to cast a blind eye or in denial which I doubt since these people are in this profession for quite some time to not see how dirty our electoral process are.
Their insistence on the witness to come forward with their “allegations” is an open invitation for assassins to silence them forever when these arrogant authorities are suspected in connivance with these criminal elements of the political operator kind. The promotion of team Garci and the desperate zarzuela played by Abalos et al to make them look good in the public eye is nothing but an insult to the people’s intelligence. They should be made criminally liable for their failure to protect the witness against their own people who maybe behind these dastardly acts of cowardice.
philippine election 2007 
maguindanao
Labels:
2007 Philippine Election,
Dagdag Bawas,
Politics
9 Speak Out:
Benjamin Abalos is in the state of denial since the Hello Garci political scandal. He is using the same defensive line: Where are the witnesses? Where the complainants?
Where are the evidences? It appears that elections commissionaires are pretending to be deaf and blind. They are tolerating election fraud. “What witness? What whistleblower?” This is the reaction of Chairman Abalos regarding the death of Maguindanao whistleblower Musa Dimasidsing . He doesn’t care how many casualties-dead or wounded who are protecting the sanctity of votes. The Comelec goal is TU’s victory by hook and by crook.
Abalos on slain Maguindanao whistleblower: What witness?
On this note, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. kept his distance from the killing of a Maguindanao school official said to be a witness to poll fraud.
Abalos, in an interview on dzXL radio Monday, also scored media again for trying to link the murder of Musa Dimasidsing in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao last Saturday.
“Paano naging testigo agad? Bakit di dalhin sa Comelec (Why was he labeled a witness? Why wasn’t he brought to the Comelec)?" he said.
Unidentified men shot dead Dimasidsing, school district supervisor of Maguindanao, at an Islamic school in Pagalungan town. Dimasidsing succumbed to gunshot wounds in the chest.
Elections in Maguindanao were mired in controversy after the administration’s Team Unity senatorial candidates scored a 12-0 sweep there.
But reports of poll irregularities prompted the Comelec to declare a failure of elections in Maguindanao. GMA News
MAY A HUNDRED BILLION POISONOUS AND ANTIBIOTIC-RESISTANT STRAIN OF ESCHERICHIA COLI FEAST ON ALL THE VITAL ORGANS OF THOSE WHO KILLED THIS POOR TEACHER. A LOT OF CRIMINAL FOLKS IN THIS ADMINISTRATION ARE SURELY LIABLE. I GRIEVE FOR THE PHILIPPINES' DYING DEMOCRACY!
- SI KA EDONG PO FROM GUAM WHERE AMERICA'S DAY BEGINS.....
As long as we do not find our own death from every man, woman or child that dies from violence and unknown assailants, many more, specially those who have less and the weak, among us would still become victims of untettered violance and death in our benighted land.
It is a society of immoral people that simply moves on just to meet a quaterly national economic target while leaving at the backhouse the unresolved deaths and mysterious abductions of so many of them.
I'm doing a writing project with regards to Musa Dimasidsing. I would love to include this post in the project. I will link to your post if you agree.
If you're interested, just go to the following link to learn how you can participate.
http://www.tingog.com/national-news/group-writing-project-write-for-musa-dimasidsing.html
Thank you so much for participating..
If you could make a brief mention or a link to the writing project, so that others may know about it, and can join as well...
As socio-political bloggers, sometimes, other bloggers, even if they aren't in our field, should also make a grand statement, especially with regards to a senseless act such as this..
Again, thank you for participating, I have put you on the day two of the writing project..
,Nick
I am also joining this writing project .. Check out my post here.. where I also link at your post.. http://halalan-2007.blogspot.com/2007/06/raising-awareness-on-electoral-violence.html
You are a good person Rexted, my appreciation and gratitude for your unconditional support on this meme in our effort to raise awareness in sending the message to END POLITICAL VIOLENCE in the Philippines.
We need to spread the word in order to create a bigger impact especially to fellow bloggers that we can't just ignore or be apathetic to the senseless loss of lives in the name of politics.
For Immediate Release
Contact: Vicente R. Romano III, 0920.9615610
Leah Navarro, 0917.898.1957
Dear Friends,
Here's a short write-up that Jun Lozada wrote sometime in October. He wanted me to disseminate it without attribution. I believe he was motivated both by his genuine concern for a beleaguered friend who was being maligned no end, and his desire, even then, for the truth to somehow surface. He left it up to me as to how and when to disseminate it.
I did not find any compelling reason to get it out then. But now that Jun has told it all, and Neri is being invited back to testify, I believe the public deserves to know what was (and maybe still is) in the mind of Neri – at least from the point of view of a friend. I'm sure Jun will not mind.
Let's get this out in the open.
God bless,
Enteng
What is Neri afraid to say and Why?
Many speculations have been made as to what Neri knows about the ZTE-NBN, most particularly the direct involvement of Pres. Gloria Arroyo in this abominable affair. After his damaging "Sec. May 200 ka dito" demolition of Abalos, the discredited former Comelec Chairman, many were left disappointed when Neri suddenly clamped up when the Senators started asking him about the nature of his conversation with Arroyo, no amount of coaxing, cajoling and threats was enough to break his Code of Omerta. The question on many people's mind was, What was Neri trying to protect when he repeatedly invoked "Executive Privilege" during that gruelling 12 hour Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on live television?
We have known the Truth all along as one of the few people that Neri confided his predicament to during those fateful days of April 2006, and how he wanted to resign his post of NEDA Director General and Secretary for Socio-Economic Planning over this incident, where he lost all his moral respect for Pres. Gloria Arroyo.
We are doing this document to give the public an understanding of this predicament.
What is Neri afraid to tell the public? He is afraid to tell the public that after he reported the Abalos P200 million peso bribe offer, Arroyo casually told him to ignore it and work for its recommendation for approval anyway. That when he protested that it is too controversial and may attract the wrong kind of attention from media, Arroyo retorted back "Pakulo lang ni Joey yan and his father". When he tried to reason that it may not be accommodated in the Chinese ODA package because it has been filled up with a list of projects already, Arroyo again ordered him to remove the low cost housing project and some water project to accommodate the ZTE-NBN deal in the ODA loan.
That when he attempted to reason that it may not be approved in time for the Boao Forum which was only two days to go from that fateful April day, Arroyo, with raised voice, told him to include the ZTE-NBN project in the agenda of the following day's meeting of a combined NEDA Board and Cabinet Committee who, as expected, promptly approved the project paving the way for the contract signing between ZTE and DOTC in China the next day. Neri is afraid to tell the public that this conversation took place between him and Arroyo because it might spark another impeachment complaint against Arroyo.
Why is Neri afraid to tell the public about this conversation with Arroyo? He is afraid that another impeachment will simply result to more expenses of public funds similar to the Hyatt 10 impeachment crisis, because as DBM Secretary who replaced Boncodin, he was entrusted with the large scale DBM payola operation of Arroyo to Congressmen, Senators and Governors not quite similar to the crude Panlilio incident that the public is witnessing now. He is afraid with a more partisan Andaya at the helm of DBM, more public funds will be spent to buy the silence and favour of these greedy legislators and local executives.
He is afraid that, with Arroyo's firm control of public funds, she can buy all the necessary support from most sectors of society to keep her in power.
He is afraid that even if the opposition knows about this conversation with Arroyo, the opposition will not pursue a serious impeachment proceeding against Arroyo, because it is not to their political interest that Noli de Castro becomes President in case Arroyo is impeached and becomes a more formidable political opponent in 2010. This insincere and unpatriotic goal of the opposition is already being manifested by the malicious speed that the Erap pardon is being cooked by Ronnie Puno together with the Erap camp to hastily put a united front of "Birds of the same corrupt feather" coalition against the emerging JDV led political opposition.
He is afraid that even if the Church knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, the Church will still not call for her resignation due to the closeness of Arroyo's trusted lady liason to the Cardinal of Manila who was very effective during the "Hello Garci" crisis. That Arroyo's Religious Affairs Operators have the Bishops firmly in their "donation" graces, as again manifested by the quick rebuttal of the Mindanao Bishops' of the call of their fellow bishops in Luzon who where calling for the resignation of Arroyo just after Arroyo gave them a visit in Mindanao.
He is afraid that even if the military knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the fraudulent ZTE-NBN deal, the AFP brass is much to indebted to Arroyo for their position and the perks that goes with their position, that they have demonstrated this twisted loyalty with their willingness to detain, remove from the service and even shoot their own men for voicing out their legitimate concerns regarding the corruption and moral authority of their Commander in Chief. It is a sad spectacle to see the respected warriors of the Marines & Special Forces rot in jail with their ideals, while their men are dying even without receiving the measly P150 per day combat pay that was promised to them by Arroyo due to lack of funds & generals gets a gift bag similar to those given to the governors and congressmen just for having dinner with Arroyo the day after that infamous breakfast & lunch meeting where bribe money flowed scandalously free.
He is afraid that even if the Media knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN scam, Media will simply wither in the torrents of cash and favors similar to how the Hyatt 10, Hello Garci crisis were killed in the media headlines and Radio& TV coverages. Although he believes in the integrity of a handful of Journalist, he believes that a handful of these mavericks cannot withstand the hordes of paid lackeys of Malacanang. Especially that the Arroyo crisis team is now being handled by the best mercenary money can buy, from Ramos' Sulo Operation, Erap's DILG and now Arroyo's troubleshooter, Ronnie Puno. Ably supported by the Media and PR money from PAGCOR being handled by Cerge Remonte to buy positive airtime, headlines and editorials.
He is afraid that even if the Business Sector knows about the truth of Arroyo's direct involvement to defraud the coffers of the taxes they are paying, the businessmen will be reluctant to rock the boat of the current economic uptrend, especially with the very close personal and business relationship of the so called leaders of the big business like Ricky Razon of ICTSI, Donald Dee of PCCI and Francis Chua of the Filipino-Chinese Federation to Arroyo herself. He is afraid that the hard earned remittances of Filipino OFWs that is keeping the economy booming and that can keep the economy afloat even under any administration is being wasted under this unholy alliance of Arroyo and her favoured businessmen.
He is afraid that even if the Civil Society knows the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal, that the Civil Society is now tired of mass actions after witnessing two failed EDSA revolutions, that Civil Society is now afflicted with a "Rally Fatigue" and cannot muster enough public outrage to denounce Arroyo's "corruption with impunity". He is afraid that the middle class is now indifferent to the corruption that goes around them, not realising that the middle class are the ones mainly carrying the burden of the loan payments for these corrupt deals. He is afraid that the middle class are more interested to become an OFW & to leave this country leaving their family and children behind, and may not care anymore about the crimes being committed against their country by its own President.
He is afraid that even if the Masa, the students, the workers know the truth about Arroyo's direct involvement in the ZTE-NBN deal to steal precious resources from public funds, that they are now too poor and impoverished to be able to afford the time to join mass actions against the abuses of the Arroyo administration, that these former vanguards of mass actions in the country are now completely dependent on financial resources of professional organizers and have turned themselves into a "Rally for hire" groups rather than a true and genuine political gathering shouting for reforms.
He is afraid that the public may not know the extent of corruption in this country and may wrongly believe that they can cure corruption by simply replacing Arroyo with another person. He is afraid that the public may overlook the systemic and institutionalized nature of the source of corruption in this country, he is afraid that the people will again opt for a regime change without concern or a plan to correct the root causes of corruption in the country. He is afraid that people may not realize that it is not bringing Arroyo down that is difficult, it is establishing a new order that is the difficult task.
This is the predicament of Neri which I want people to realize especially to those who are asking Neri to tell the truth.
If only President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo would do her job as the Chief Executive of the country and live up to her duties keeping in mind she is: of the people, by the people and for the people, then, it would be hard to imagine anyone wanting her to step down.
But. If she has difficulty cutting it, well...
Either we, the people, watch her closely to make sure she does...
Or, she really has to step down and make way for someone who can and WILL deliver.
Post a Comment