The multiple failure of SD cards, vote counting machines, the secrecy of the location of COMELEC’s Central Server and the “meet-me-room” operations, on top of massive disenfranchisement for overseas Filipino voters – all of these are glaring indicators of fraudulent automated elections. Migrante Aotearoa therefore joins the demand of election watchdog groups and all Filipinos in demanding transparency and full accountability of COMELEC.
Migrante Aotearoa, a rights and welfare advocacy group and New Zealand chapter of Migrante International, joins the Filipino people in mourning and protest over the record-low turn-out of Overseas Absentee Voting (OAV) and massive fraud that tainted the May 2019 elections.
No thanks to the COMELEC and Duterte ‘magic,’ the Philippines now have more Trash Politicians, a.k.a TraPos, and fake partylist groups dominating Philippine government.
In NZ, Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa, the architect and executor of Duterte’s failed drug war through extra-judicial killings ranked #1 in the Senate race. The top party-list group was ACT-CIS of the Tulfo family, which up to now, hasn’t returned the PhP60M to Department of Tourism. How can we ever forget that Erwin Tulfo, a paid mouthpiece of red-tagging, propaganda, and fake news, came to NZ to peddle the student visa scam that left hundreds of hopeful Filipinos in staggering amount of debts after being lured to come to NZ?
Out of 19,1981 registered voters from the Cook Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Tonga and New Zealand, voters turn-out was only 17.27% and only 3,448 valid ballots received on time.
On top of failing to ensure delivery of ballots for OFWs on time, COMELEC is deplorable for allowing more fake party-list groups like ACT-CIS to run. The administration-funded fake party list groups bastardize the party list system which is supposedly for the marginalised sectors. The people behind ACT-CIS and AA Kasosyo do not represent any marginalised sector.
Clearly the election results were not the legitimate results of the people’s vote but a tampered, manipulated product of Malacaṅang’s dark magic.
We mourn and protest the record-low voters turnout for Filipinos in NZ and around the world. We call on Filipinos to remain vigilant for truth, justice and meaningful change. Let us continue to speak out against the promoters of extra-judicial killings that victimised children and loved ones of Filipinos working abroad. Let us stand up against the biggest plunderers that condemn our homeland to the vicious cycle of poverty, unemployment and indebtedness.
Reference: Mikee Santos – Chairman, Migrante Aotearoa