LACSON SADDENED OVER 'LEGITIMATIZATION'
OF DISPUTED MAGUINDANAO VOTES

While respecting the Supreme Court's decision paving the way for the proclamation of Juan Miguel Zubiri as the 12th elected senator for the 14th Congress, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson is saddened over the continued injustices in the Philippine electoral exercise.

Lacson said he was particularly saddened that the fake votes from Maguindanao, which were contested by Genuine Opposition (GO) candidate Aquiilino "Koko" Pimentel III, were effectively deemed legitimate because of the High Court's decision.

"As the Supreme Court rendered its collective decision in resolving who should sit as the 12th elected senator in the 14th Congress, we must all bow our heads in respect. What makes it sad for us is the thought that the fake votes from Maguindanao are now officially legitimate," he said.

Nevertheless, he said that with the Supreme Court having made its decision, it is time for all concerned to undertake moves to end all the injustices brought about by cheating in Philippine electoral exercises.

"I feel for Koko as I feel very sad for our country's democratic process of choosing our leaders. Some drastic moves must be undertaken to put an end to all the injustices brought about by cheating in our electoral exercise. Otherwise, there is no real sense in our basic right of suffrage," he said.

Earlier, Lacson joined GO candidates in questioning election documents from Maguindanao, where he and several GO candidates got zero votes. Yet, the certificates of canvass at the municipal level belied the zero-vote result of their provincial counterpart.

He also noted that in Pagalungan town in Maguindanao alone, winners were proclaimed after canvassers counted the votes in only four villages.

Also, he scored the kid-glove treatment that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has so far given Maguindanao provincial election supervisor Lintang Bedol, who admitted he "lost" key election documents in his office.

Lacson added the light treatment Bedol is getting from the Comelec despite his shows of arrogance may indicate that Bedol may know something about cheating not only this year but also in 2004.