Koko Pimentel exposes ‘vote padding’ for Zubiri in 6 Mindanao towns

MANILA — Lawyer Aquilino Pimentel III today cited six more municipalities in Mindanao where “dagdag-bawas” (vote-padding and shaving) operations were carried out by fraud syndicates to give Team Unity bet Juan Miguel Zubiri a large margin over him.

He said Zubiri was credited with roughly 110,267 fraudulent or “ampao” votes in the municipalities of Sultan Naga Dimaporo and Salvador in Lanao del Norte; Sultan Kudarat, Datu Blah Sinsuat and Kabuntalan in Shariff Kabunsuan; and Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat.

Pimentel said the voters’ turnout in these municipalities reached as high as an unbelievable 99.94 percent while the Zubiri obtained from 79.92 percent to 98.34 percent of the votes.

In the municipalities where the large-scale fraud occurred, Pimentel said watchers-representatives from the Genuine Opposition and National Movement for Free Elections were usually not allowed to witness the canvassing of votes and were not given copies of election returns in gross violation of election laws and regulations.

In Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, Zubiri got 24,560 votes or 90.29 percent of the 27,201 registered voters. Pimentel obtained only 114 votes.

In Salvador, Lanao del Norte, Zubiri scored 15,797 votes representing 89.52 percent of total number of registered voters while Pimentel was credited with only 402 votes.

Zubiri led Pimentel by 15,395 votes and he achieved this incredible feat in a town of only 17,646 voters.

In Sultan Kudarat, Shariff Kabunsuan, up to 38,672 voters supposedly showed up in polling precincts on May 14 equivalent to 98.34 percent of the town’s 39,326 voters.

Zubiri got 33,888 votes or 87.62 percent of the total number of registered voters, and Pimentel 2,791 votes.

Zubiri led Pimentel by 31,097 votes.

In Datu Blah T. Sinsuat, Shariff Kabunsuan, 8,198 voters reportedly cast their ballots – an incredible 99.94 percent of the 8,203 registered voters.

Zubiri garnered 7,105 votes or 86.67 percent of the number of registered voters and Pimentel 2,833 votes.

Zubiri led Pimentel by 4,272 votes.

In Kabuntalan, Shariff Kabunsuan, 6,838 voters supposedly cast their ballots representing 66.88 percent of the 10,225 voters.

Zubiri got 5,465 voters or 79.92 percent of the 6,838 voters who cast their ballots while Pimentel received only 426 votes.

Zubiri led Pimentel by 5,039 votes and he achieved this in the municipality of 10,225 voters.

In Lutayan, Sultan Kudarat, up to 25,546 voters reportedly turned out or 97.16 percent of 26,291 registered voters Zubiri scored 23,452 votes equivalent to 91.80 percent of those who voted.

Pimentel said the discovery of the fantastic but anomalous election results in the six municipalities has farther made clear the extent of the manipulation of the senatorial election perpetrated by administration special operators in cahoots with unscrupulous and corrupt officials of the Commission on Elections. (Press Release)