Bongbong poll fraud claim in BARMM has no basis, says House leader

Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman on Wednesday decried former Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos's claim that there was a poll fraud committed in three Bangsamoro Region provinces during the 2016 elections, saying the allegations have no basis.

Marcos sought to nullify the election results in Basilan, Maguindanao, and Lanao Del Sur, in his protest case lodged before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal against Vice President Leni Robredo.

"These claims have no basis. Bakit pag may natatalo sa ARMM, ang reklamo lagi ay may dayaan? Bakit pag nanalo, wala namang sinasabi?" Hataman said in a statement.

According to Hataman, the residents of ARMM voted against Marcos because of the atrocities they have experienced during Martial Law under the dictatorship of former President Ferdinand Marcos, Bongbong's father.

"This may be the reason Bongbong Marcos did not even campaign personally in some parts of Mindanao and ARMM, for this would require acknowledging their family's crimes, especially those against the Bangsamoro people," Hataman said.

Hataman added that another reason for Marcos' loss in the province was his inaction on a measure which was passed into the Bangsamoro Basic Law.

"He was the former chair of the Senate committee on local government where the BOL measure was pending, and sat on it until his term ended. The people of ARMM expressed their disappointment through their vote," Hataman said.

"It should not be a surprise, therefore, that the people of ARMM voted for Vice President Robredo. The Bangsamoro people remembers, and Marcos seeks to annul our collective memory along with the votes he now seeks to nullify," he added.

Hataman also defended Robredo's win, saying it was because of her efforts to visit almost every Mindanao province.

"She went to these areas not just to campaign, but to have genuine conversations with the Bangsamoro people and to seek their advice on how to improve the quality of life in the region," Hataman said.

The PET on Tuesday ordered the release of the official report on the initial vote recount involved in Marcos's election protest.

According to Supreme Court (SC) spokesman Brian Hosaka, the SC has yet to make a decision on the protest itself. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News