Lanao Sur mayor belies report of irregular poll registration

BUTIG, Lanao del Sur —Mayor Sultan Dimnatang  Pansar has belied  news reports claiming of irregularities in the Comelec registration in the town for the 2020 Barangay and Sagguniang Kabataan elections.

Local reports indicated that some 60 high school students from Cagayan de Oro City and neighboring towns were brought to Butig town on September 20, Friday, to register for next year's local polls under fictitious names.

In media interview, Pansar said the report was baseless and was intended to destroy the image of the town that is now at the center of national and international attention as it tries to recover from the ravages from the Marawi City siege three years ago.

He said it is impossible for these minor students and out-of-school youth to pass through boundaries without the strict scrutiny of the Army and police personnel at checkpoints, especially that Mindanao is under martial law.

According to the mayor, the news report was only a black propaganda designed to dampen the spirits of the townsfolk who are living in peace and order and achieving positive changes since the Marawi siege.

For his part, Butig Comelec officer Cairoden Usman said the allegations are "fabricated," saying, "it is not true on the basis of what supposedly happened last September 20, 2019. As per local poll body's  record, there were no applicants for registration on that day."

He said he is ready to face an investigation over the issue. “The number of applicants from September 20 to September 22, 2019 was zero."

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Col. Allan Villanueva, Commander of the Army’s  49th Infantry Battalion, in an exclusive interview with GMA News Online, said his men are very strict in conducting inspections at established checkpoints in their area of responsibility.

“I am sure that this convoy of supposedly seven vans (carrying the illegal registrants) will be stopped at checkpoints and subjected to verification of their identities and purpose to the area of destinations especially that supposed registrants were students and out-of-school youth, aged 14 to 16 years old," Villanueva said.

Mayor Pansar urged the people who are behind this malicious and baseless report to stop destroying the good image of Butig because the town is already enjoying peace and order.

"I am appealing to people who are behind this disinformation that if you don't want to help Butig, please refrain from doing false accusations,” Pansar said.

He was referring to a news report saying that a group of students from Iponan National High School was convinced by a fellow student to go for a joyride to Iligan City on Friday morning of September 20, “but they (students) were surprised when the vehicles they were riding went all the way to Butig.”

According to those interviewed by the police, the minors were brought to a building in Butig and were told to write fake names on a sheet of paper that appeared to be Comelec voter registration form. They also had their thumb prints and their photos taken.

Students told police that the building where they supposedly registered as voters has no Commission on Elections signage and the people who assisted them in the registration process were carrying high-powered firearms.

Also, the report said, the students noticed men brandishing weapons in the area, and a flag that does not resemble the Philippine official flag also hang on the flagpole.

Moreover, the report said the students claimed they were given P300 each after registering, and returned to their homes at 10 p.m. of same day. —LBG, GMA News