Press Release
April 12, 2007

LACSON TO ABALOS: DEFY LOW RATINGS,
WORK ON 'CLEAN-POLL' LEGACY

Instead of moping over it, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos should use his low trust ratings as motivation to ensure clean polls on May 14 and leave a good legacy.

Re-electionist Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Thursday that Abalos can start by stopping at least two brewing election-related cheating schemes in their tracks.

"Sana tanggapin ang hamon in a positive way ni Chairman Abalos at ng buong Comelec itong survey sa trust/distrust lalo sa Comelec officials. Ito ang pagkakataon nila lalo si Chairman Abalos kasi huling election niya ito bilang chairman. Isipin niya na lang makapagiwan siya ng magandang legacy and I have no doubt sa isip niya iyan kaya dapat ma-translate into concrete action, iiwanan niyang pangalan at legacy di lang sa Comelec kundi sa buong Pilipinas maganda at masabing talagang pinaghusay at pinagbuti niya para ibang HOPE naman, honest, order and peaceful elections matupad pagdating ng May 14 (Abalos and the Comelec should take this low rating in a positive way. He should see this as a challenge to leave behind a good legacy and match this with concrete action. His best legacy is to supervise clean, honest, orderly and peaceful elections)," Lacson said in an interview on dzXL radio.

Lacson said one of the brewing scams is taking place in Mindanao, where some local leaders are reportedly selling senatorial votes to the highest bidder. He said voters in such areas tend to fill only the blanks for local candidates in their ballots. The spaces for senators are usually left blank.

On the other hand, he said this could not be possible without the connivance of some local Comelec officials.

"Hindi magawa ito kung di Comelec ang kausap. So dapat tingnan mabuti ni Chairman Abalos at commissioners natin ang situation sa iba't ibang lugar kung saan ang nagaganap na halalan, di talaga halalan kundi bidding na lamang kung kaninong pangalan ilalagay after the election (This is not possible if there is no one from the Comelec in on the scheme. So Chairman Abalos and the other commissioners better look into this scheme in various parts of the country, where the votes go to the highest bidder)," he said.

Lacson said the second scheme involves Malacañang fixers in the party-list elections, where Malacañang shoulders the campaign funding of some party lists.

Once these party list groups win seats in the Lower House, Malacañang will "insert" its own "nominees" there.

"Malacañang ang magde-designate sino ang nominee/s sa party list na accredited, tutulungan nilang magkampanya. Tapos sa halip na ire-represent mismo ng marginalized groups, nominee ng Malacañang ang papasok for a fee (Malacañang will designate the nominee/s in the accredited party lists. They will help them campaign. Once they win, the compromised party lists will not stand for the marginalized sectors they claim to represent because Malacañang has bought them)," he said.

In his present campaign in Mindanao, Lacson is scheduled to visit "Garci country" in Bukidnon province, where he will have a speaking engagement.

He said he plans to visit Garcillano's nephew Michaelangelo Zuce, a former jueteng witness who is running for a local elective post there.

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