1 day after E-Day: Slow count flares up tempers in a flash

The manual counting of votes from the midterm elections has entered a second day Tuesday as anger over fraudulent polls raged in many parts of the country. International observers witness threats, vote-buying in the election, saying threats and vote-buying in some Mindanao precincts were widespread, raising questions Tuesday about election manipulation in the volatile Philippines. An exit poll by independent surveyor Pulse Asia and a television network said six opposition candidates — four allies of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and two independents — were likely to win Senate seats. Half of its 24 seats are up for grabs. The two are Antonio Trillanes IV and Gregorio Honasan fighting charges of involvement in coup plots. One is the son of former President Corazon Aquino, Noynoy. The poll surveyed more than 12,000 voters and has a 1.6 percentage point margin of error. The last four candidates in the top 12 were listed as still vulnerable. One is opposition, two are administration and one is independent. Filipinos were also electing all 236 House of Representatives members and nearly 17,500 governors, mayors and other local officials. Official results are weeks away. Commission on Elections Chairman Benjamin Abalos said he had received no "initial reports" of widespread cheating. Five masked gunmen barged into a school voting precinct in Batangas overnight, poured gasoline on ballot boxes and torched the building, trapping two people who died, police said. They said three others were hospitalized. Police said the deaths brought the death toll to 126 since campaigning started in January — well below 189 deaths in 2004. National police chief Oscar Calderon called the elections "relatively peaceful." Technical glitch slows Namfrel quick count The quick count of the election returns may not be as quick as the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) may want it to be because of computer glitches that had somewhat slowed down processing of results from the field. Namfrel said earlier on Monday that it would release an update of its quick count at around 1:30 p.m., it never happened. Namfrel national chairman Edward Go told reporters on Tuesday that the software being used in the quick count is now being modified. "It is a very complicated Excel program," he said when asked to elaborate on the problem they experienced. He said they have started noticing the problem Monday night when the result of the election from different areas started coming in. He added they reached the conclusion that something is wrong Tuesday morning. Canvassing of votes delayed in Pasig The canvassing of votes in Pasig, one of the cities in Metro Manila declared as area of immediate concern was delayed for hours Tuesday. The report quoted lawyer Ma. Ana Gonzales, chairman of Pasig's board of canvassers, as saying that 15 percent of election returns copies has yet been forwarded to the board by election inspectors. Gonzales also reportedly said that it may take five days before the board proclaims the winners of the midterm elections, particularly winners in the local posts. The same report said watchers, including the media, will need to get another "color-coded" identification card to be allowed to observe the canvassing. Power failures mar counting Intermittent power failures, intimidation and heated confrontations marred the first hours of counting in Metro Manila and nearby provinces Monday night and before dawn Tuesday. Radio station dzBB reported that in Pasig City, elementary schools used in counting experienced intermittent brownouts lasting less than an hour each. Among these schools were Santolan Elementary School (8:24 to 9:08 p.m.), Capitolyo High School Annex (8:50 to 8:52 p.m.) and another elementary school (10:50 to 11:15 p.m.) on Monday. Counting was temporarily stopped in the three schools, though no commotion was reported. However, the dzBB report said at least three watchers of a local candidate, including one Ricky Hernandez, claimed police personnel poked firearms at them in Sto. Tomas district in Pasig City. In Taguig City, local barangay (village) chairmen allegedly prevented teachers from bringing out ballot boxes from Signal Village Elementary School. The incident reportedly prompted Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes to rush to the area to protect the votes of his son, who is running for a local post there. Angry 'Harry' In Manila, mayoral candidate Sen. Alfredo Lim stormed a building in Malate where the headquarters of rival Arnold "Ali" Atienza is located, suspecting fake election returns were being kept there. GMA News showed an angry Lim confronting men and women, apparently Atienza's supporters, as he yanked their belongings and looked into their bags. However, the search proved futile and Lim apologized. Atienza's camp said it will not file charges. In Aurora province, armed men allegedly entered an elementary school which served as a polling place. The local PPCRV said three armed PNP personnel entered the elementary school supposedly to get records. Bayan's reports Meanwhile, the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) said it had received reports of other incidents of violence and fraud in the provinces. These alleged incidents include: • Reports of gunshots and a blackout in Wao, Lanao del Sur have reached Kontra-Daya, along with allegations of rampant vote-buying involving candidates at the gubernatorial, mayoral, and congressional level. Specified amounts, ranging from P300 to P500, were reportedly handed out by a governor and congressman while a mayor allegedly gave P6,000 per municipality. Others distributed sacks of rice with cash. The blackout was claimed to be deliberately staged to sabotage the elections, although this was unconfirmed as of posting time. • At 2:29 a.m. a number of aberrations from standard election procedures were noted by poll watchers in Parañaque Central Elementary School. The security was lax, allowing unauthorized people easy access to the restricted areas. These people crowded the precincts, disturbing the tallying of election officers. There were also no tables ready for the Board of Election Inspectors. • At 2:28 a.m. poll watchers confirmed that the Armed Forces were forcing voters in Pantar, Banisilan, to cast their ballot for the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TCUP). Those who chose to vote instead for party-ist Suara Bangsamoro claimed that they received threats from area commanders. The Armed Forces was not immediately available for comment on the matter, although it had previously insisted that it was an apolitical organization. • Also in North Cotabato, it was reported that voters were provided with an incomplete list of party-list candidates. The second and third pages of the official list released by the Comelec were conspicuously missing in the following precincts: Precinct 0005-A, Poblacion 3, and Midsayap. • In Olongapo City, Kontra Daya convenor and film director Carlitos Siguion-Reyna sought media coverage of the brownouts that hit Olongapo City. There have been power outages in several precincts. The text report goes on to say that ballot boxes "have been brought to the convention center" and will be moved to City Hall "for no reason." Access to poll watchers has been "severely restricted." • In Sta. Mesa, Bulacan, a Grade 6 pupil was a member of the board of election inspectors. The minor served at the precinct 0111-A in Caysio village in the province. - GMANews.TV