Filtered By: Topstories
News

Bayan leader says Duterte 'magic' made May polls not credible


Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) secretary general Renato Reyes on Wednesday claimed the supposed "Duterte magic" has made the results of the midterm elections not credible.

In a statement, Reyes said the Duterte magic consists of the following:

  • Use of government resources to favor administration bets;
  • Use of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police to target and harass opposition groups especially the progressive party-lists and candidates;
  • Control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the hocus-pocus of the automated polls;
  • Martial law in Mindanao; and
  • Government-sponsored disinformation

"It was the systematic cheating and rigging of the elections which gave us these results," Reyes said.

Sought for comment, Comelec Commissioner Luie Guia said any accusation of cheating in the elections should be supported by evidence.

"It is best to present specific proof that the votes credited to a particular candidates should not have been credited, or that what should not have been credited was credited. Proof of 'systematic cheating' is also welcome," he told GMA News Online.

Reyes was reacting to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo's statement attributing the strong showing of administration-allied senatorial candidates in the midterm elections to President Rodrigo Duterte's endorsement power.

"While the results of the elections are still unofficial, there appears to be an unstoppable trend towards a resounding victory of the administration’s favored senatorial candidates. Undoubtedly, the Duterte magic spelled the difference," Panelo had said.

Reyes, meanwhile, backed Labor Win senatorial candidate Neri Colmenares for not conceding defeat this elections, claiming that the conduct of the electoral exercise was rotten and manipulated.

"Neri Colmenares is correct in refusing to concede due to the fraudulent polls," the Bayan leader said. "He is sounding off the call to denounce fraud and hold accountable those responsible."

Reyes urged the public to join the Black Friday protests on May 17 that will condemn the recent elections.

As of 7:26 a.m., the partial and unofficial results from the Comelec transparency server showed that reelectionist senators Cynthia Villar and Grace Poe maintained their lead in the senatorial race with 24,690,459 and 21,582,062 votes, respectively.

They were followed by Christopher "Bong" Go, Pia Cayetano and Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa.  —KBK, GMA News

LOADING CONTENT