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Skulduggery in Olongapo Election
First Published: Reflections - The Philippine Daily Inquirer Publication Date: 6th February 1992 Author's Name: Father Shay Cullen SSC IN OLONGAPO CITY election time has always been resurrection time. Yes, that is when the dead come to life and hundreds if not thousands of voices from the past cast their ballot. The frightening probability of this extraordinary phenomena being true was strengthened by documentary evidence submitted to the commission on Elections last January 27th. A long list of registered voters who are already long dead was presented to the commission. The image that this conjures up is that of long lines of skeletons lining up at the polling booth ballot in hand and a grin on their jaws. The solid evidence was unearthed by those stalwart defenders of the ballot box in Olongapo Atty. Jun Cesa, Atty.Sergio Cruz, Atty. Val Peralta, Atty .Isagani Jungco and Atty. Virgilio Acierto. The Commissioners became clearly disturbed by this troubling and "grave" evidence. Using he names of the dead in fraud and conspiracy to cheat is to desecrated their memory. Other evidence submitted to the commissioners was even more disturbing . This showed that the nonexistent does actually exist. The Olongapo certified registered voters list show that there are 116,653 people who are eligible to vote in Olongapo but the population of the city according to the 1990 census is only 193,327. That means the number of registered voters in Olongapo is 60% of the population. This is a statistical improbability the ratio of eligible voters is only 35% to 40% according to the Supreme court and the Commission on Elections. That means that there is an extra 39,323 registered voters that do not exist. ! Yes massive fraud and skulduggery in Olongapo elections. The election according to this should have been declared null and void. Where could they have come from? The cemetery for sure is one hang out, but there were discovered certain homes around the city that had never heard of family planning. One place was No.13 Arthur St. where there is a little house in which 21 registered fake voters were said to live. Other ghost voters had "Old market", or Old City Jail " as their address. There is no such place now-a-days. In Barangay Asinan it was discovered that there were supposedly 4,339 voters but the population turns out to only 3,073. In Barangay Banicain there are listed voters to the tune of 5,478 but the population is only 8,038. There, even the babies crawl out and vote it seems. The evidence of shocking election hypocrisy cheating,fraud and downright corruption and dishonesty was and is so overwhelming that the commission to their everlasting glory there and then passed a resolution suspending all registration of voters in Olongapo last February 1. A historical decision but painful one for all the good people who were cheated . How could it happen in this model city ,self-declared as the cleanest city in the Philippines where billboards and posters erected by it's "elected" administration, it's ruling elite, stands for no less than "Duty dignity and determination"? It has indeed come in for a sorry downfall. Olongapo is the only place in all of Luzon where registration of voters was cancelled. What this brings into question is how could the present mayor be lawfully elected when the evidence clearly shows that there was massive fraud? But the wily mayor blames the other guy. If his opponent was responsible for the fraud why then did he not win since the fake votes would have gone to him? Therefore it is obvious that the rigged voters lists worked to the advantage of the " winner" or the present administration. Its a sad world where millings go hungry while billions are spent on cooking up such deceit and organized lying which is another way to describe some election campaigns. Peace and social justice can never come about while a corrupt and pernicious system continues to dominate the economic and political life of this or any country. That is why we need conversion, a turning away from the love of self, money and power to the love of others. We need people to lead who have moral principles and convictions and are prepared to stand by them for the sake of the poor. Am I praying for a political messiah to come down among us? In a way, yes. We do need leaders who have strong religious beliefs that put justice and truth and honesty above all else.
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