Voting was generally peaceful, contrary to expectations of widespread violence, military officials said. Comelec chairman Alfredo Benipayo placed voter turnout at 80%-90% of the 1.1 million registered voters.
ARMM covers the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Maguindanao, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, and the city of Marawi. Voters are electing a governor, vice governor, 3 district representatives for each of the 8 legislative districts of the 24-seat regional assembly.
The results of balloting in the region are usually known in at least 5 days. The Comelec will announce the winners in Manila, officials said.
In some parts of Lanao del Sur and Sulu, the elections started late as some members of the Board of Election Inspectors refused to report for duty due to security concerns and conflicting orders from the Comelec head office.
4 of the 7 Comelec commissioners issued a resolution to postpone the exercise in Sulu due to the anticipated "massive disenfranchisement" resulting from a last-minute regrouping of polling precincts.
The resolution, which was signed by Commissioners Luz Tancangco, Ralph Lantion, Mehol Sadain and Rufino Javier, was finalised on Sunday night and forwarded to Zamboanga City.
"This is good as carried," said Tancangco, commissioner-in-charge of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Basilan, in a memorandum to regional officials.
Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuason, who are identified with Benipayo's camp, did not sign the resolution as they were out of town on official business.
The order was, however, overruled by Benipayo, who gave the go-signal to push through with the polls.
Citing technicalities, Benipayo told regional officials that the resolution was not binding because it was not promulgated en banc.
He also insisted that there was "no valid reason" for the postponement as there were no reports of terrorism or violence in the area, which was attacked last week by followers of ousted ARMM Governor Nur Misuari.
Turnout
In a press briefing yesterday, Benipayo said the heavy turnout of voters was his "best argument" against the 4 commissioners' claim that the re-clustering of precincts would cause disenfranchisement.
As of 13:35 yesterday, 80%-90% turnout was reported in Sulu, 60% in Maguindanao, 50%-70% in Basilan, and 70% in Lanao del Sur. A "heavy" turnout was also expected in Tawi-Tawi and Marawi, Benipayo claimed.
But the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) said the turnout could be less than 60%.
Joseph Fernandez, Namfrel-ARMM coordinator, said as of 13:30, the voter turnout was still below 50%. "This is the trend, a very low turnout," he said.
Benipayo said the resolution was "not valid because it violates the Comelec rules (for its issuance)."
"I am the chairman, and I was not even notified," he said.
But Tancangco said it was "impossible" for Benipayo not to have known about the order because a standby resolution for the postponement had been discussed in the en banc last week.
"Now, he's very particular about discussion in the en banc and the technical matters, but when he decides on his own, he does not cite that," Tancangco said.
"There will be a lot of legal questions here. What we fear is the post-election tension when losing candidates will be questioning the re-clustering and the holding of polls," she said.
Tancangco, who visited Sulu two weeks ago and informed the BEI there that the clustering in the May 14 polls would be followed, said she has received a barrage of calls from candidates and the board because of the re-clustering in 10 precincts.
The affected towns were Jolo, Indanan, Kalingalang Calauang, Panglima Estino, Parang, Patikul, Talipao, Panamao, Luuk and Maimbung.
Sulu Situation
Despite the confusion, the provincial board of canvassers reported "a very high" turnout.
Tancangco had earlier justified her move, saying a predictable low voter turnout was due to the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan. She had claimed that her move was based on a recommendation from Comelec field officers. But poll officials in Sulu denied recommending a suspension of the elections.
Renato Magbuntay, chairman of the provincial board of canvassers, said the Comelec proceeded with the elections because Tancangco's resolution lacked basis. "It was not officially promulgated," he said.
Col Romeo Tolentino, chief of the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade, said he did not see Tancangco's justifications as "truthful conclusions", saying the military is under full control of the Sulu mainland.
Lt Gen Roy Cimatu, chief of the military's Southern Command, said, "We did not expect it would be this peaceful. Of course, there were some incidents, but these were very negligible."
More than 7,000 troops were deployed in all 5 ARMM provinces days before the actual voting.
Attacks
About 30 suspected Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) members loyal to Misuari simultaneously attacked 4 military detachments in Buldon, Maguindanao, at 00:30 yesterday.
Mortars and rocket-propelled grenades rained over outposts of the 3rd IB in the villages of Mataya and Kabayuan, according to Brig Gen Roy Kyamco, chief of the 6th Infantry Division.
"They wanted really to disrupt the conduct of elections," Kyamco told Notre Dame Broadcasting Corp.
30 minutes later, 3 explosions rocked Miramar Elementary School in Parang, Maguindanao.
No one was hurt in the explosions that, according to the school principal, also damaged 2 classrooms and a canteen.
Just as the voters were preparing to cast their votes in Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao, a 60-mm mortar bomb landed at the town's public market. No one was hurt, the military said.
In Malabang, Lanao del Sur, 2 homemade bombs were found inside a ballot box at the Matling Arabic School in Barangay Matling yesterday morning.
Maj Johnny Macanas, 4th Infantry Division spokesperson, said experts defused the bombs.
In Basilan and Sulu, Abu Sayyaf bandits and followers of Misuari were silent during the balloting.
Lamitan Mayor Inocencio Ramos said the relatively "calm" situation has also inspired people to go out and vote. "This time, more Christians came out to participate," he said.
Cheating Raps
Independent gubernatorial bet Ebrahim Paglas III alleged that Malacanang was into cheating to ensure the victory of its candidate Dr Parouk Hussin.
Paglas cited a case in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, where at least 12 boxes containing 2,400 ballots that bore the names of Hussin and his running mate Mahid Mutilan, were discovered shortly before the actual balloting started.
The 36 public school teachers manning the precincts in Tapian, Kusiong, Badak and Linek in Datu Odin Sinsuat, where the filled-up ballots were discovered, staged a walkout.
"We do not want to become instruments of cheating," Acub Duloan, chairman of the local Board of Election Inspectors, said.
Reynaldo Pescadera, provincial election officer of Sulu, said ballots tampered in favour of Hussin and Mutilan were also discovered in at least 14 precincts in Indanan town.
He said the Comelec was still determining who were behind the tampered ballots.
Money Matters
Paglas said the administration was very sure of winning since the start because it had already put in place measures, including bribing voters.
He accused Public Works Secretary Simeon Datumanong of distributing cash to leaders in Maguindanao to get votes for Hussin and Mutilan.
Datumanong, Lakas-NUCD-UMDP vice president for Mindanao, said the money was indeed distributed but this was intended for party leaders.
He said that political parties, under Comelec rules, are allowed to spend in support of their candidates. "These would be for our watchers and other officials," he said.
Philippine Daily Enquirer/ANN
