ZAMBOANGA CITY, 24 May 2004 — Joining the chorus of protests, the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) yesterday denounced the May 10 Philippine elections as “dirty.”
But the rebel group also called on Filipinos to stay vigilant amid reports of anti-government destabilization plots.
“The recently held elections were dirty. It is marred with massive cheatings and reports of frauds, killings and more violence,” said MILF spokesman Eid Kabalu.
While keeping its hands off the election, the separatist group had allowed its members to participate in the exercise by supporting or voting for their candidates.
Manila is currently negotiating peace with the MILF in an effort to strike a political settlement to end more than three decades of hostilities in the strife-torn southern Philippines.
MILF members were known to have discreetly supported candidates for public office in the past.
Kabalu, however, said the extent of fraud and cheating in the recent election has made “a mockery of the electoral process.”
“(Once) again, the results of the elections is being decided with the pouring of cash, the use of force and intimidation, as well as harassment and the killing of supporters and candidates,” Kabalu also lamented.
More than 40 million Filipinos, including about 360,000 abroad, trooped to polling stations to choose their next president, vice president, half of the Senate, the entire House of Representatives and more than 17,000 local officials from mayors to governors.
