NEWSFLASH

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FASTER COUNT FOR LANAO TOWNS

Manila, June 17, 2001 - The official count of Lanao del Sur senatorial votes started moving faster yesterday with the segregation of the canvassing for senators, members of the House of Representatives, and party-list from the local elections.

This enabled Provincial Board of Canvassers (PBoC) to finish the canvassing of votes cast in six Lanao del Sur towns, for the first time since it convened last June 11 on the 8th floor of Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros, Manila.

Before the segregation of the canvass, the most the PBoC could finish counting in a day were the votes cast in three Lanao del Sur towns. The segregation was approved by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in en banc Resolution 4467 granting a motion of Dean Rufus Rodriguez, legal counsel of Luisa "Loi" Ejercito Estrada and other candidates of the Laban ng Demokratikong PilipinoPuwersa ng Masa (LDPPnM).

Last Thursday, the PBoC was able to count only the votes cast in one town - Ganassi, Lanao del Sur. Yesterday's canvass brought to 15 the total number of towns whose certificates of canvass have been officially counted by the PBoC. They are Balabagan, Saguiran, Ganassi, Marogong, Kapai, Wao, Tugaya, Malabang, Sultan Gumander, Calanogas, Pualas, Bumbaran, Piagapo, Maguing, and Balindong.

Still to be canvassed are the results in 22 Lanao del Sur towns and Marawi City.

The votes cast in Kapatagan could have also been counted yesterday, but the PBoC decided to make a deferment when Rodriguez pointed out that the municipal certificate of canvass was not supported by a statement of votes which is required under the law before any canvass could proceed.

The senatorial votes from Lanao del Sur's 15 towns gave People Power Coalition bet Ralph G. Recto a total of 28,019, PnM bet Gregorio B. Honasan 17,823 votes, and Estrada 13,323 votes.

The poll results from 15 towns increased Recto's nationwide lead over Honasan from 25,163 votes last Friday to 33,532 votes yesterday. Recto also succeeded in cutting down Estrada's national lead of 69,566 when they were proclaimed winning senators last June 5 to 55,252 yesterday.

But Rodriguez remains confident that Honasan will still be able to go up to 12th and drop Recto to 13th when the votes from other towns, particularly from Marawi City, are finally counted. He said the other towns were virtually a Estrada country and the opposition Senate bets will be able to overcome Recto's lead.

Rodriguez is also confident that a big number of votes will be reduced from Recto when the Comelec takes up his objection to the inclusion of votes from several precincts in Pualas.

"The tampering of results were very obvious in several precincts in Pualas," Rodriguez said. "In one precinct, Recto got only eight votes but it was increased to 18 by adding one with the use of a black ballpen. In another precinct, Recto got 0 but it was made to appear that he got 10 votes but adding 1 to 0, also with the use of a black ballpen."