Basilan lone district Rep. Mujiv Hataman

House Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Mujiv Hataman is seeking a congressional inquiry in aid of legislation on the alleged fraud and anomalies during the recent barangay and Sanguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE). 

“Mahirap dedmahin ang napakaraming alegasyon ng irregularidad, pandaraya at pananakot noong nakaraang barangay elections,” the Basilan representative said in a statement on Tuesday, Dec. 5. 

(It is difficult to deny the numerous allegations of irregularities, fraud, and intimidation during the recent barangay elections.) 

“Dito lamang sa Basilan, madaming insidente ang naiulat sa social media na hindi naa-address ng mga kinauukulan,” noted Hataman. 

(Even here in Basilan, several incidents have been reported on social media that have not been addressed by the concerned authorities.) 

“Lagi na nating problema ito, hindi lamang sa barangay at SK elections. Dapat ba nating bisitahin na ang batas dahil parang walang nadedemanda o nakukulong pagdating sa pandaraya, pananakot at irregularidad tuwing eleksyon?” he added. 

(This has always been our problem, not only in barangay and SK elections. Should we revisit the law because no one seems to be charged or imprisoned when it comes to fraud, intimidation, and irregularities every elections?) 

Hataman, former governor of the now-defunct Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), filed House Resolution (HR) No. 1497 on Tuesday. it calls for a House probe on the recent election irregularities that took place in Basilan and other parts of the country. 

The resolution cited reports that election officers of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and members of security forces were allegedly involved in anomalies and illegal activities during the BSKE held last Oct. 31. 

Another report claims that all members of the electoral board in all clustered precincts in Barangay Samal Village in the Municipality of Maluso in Basilan allegedly attempted to transfer the location of the polling place at 7:30 in the morning on poll day from the Comelec-designated polling center to another area without the authority from the Comelec en banc. 

The commission en banc is the sole authority who has the power to cluster precincts and designated polling center. 

“If such an illegal and criminal act was not prevented, the voters would surely be displaced and would not be able to vote, thus resulting in a failure of election,” the resolution read. 

The resolution noted that these alleged anomalies were very alarming as it may cast doubt on the integrity of the election and endanger the lives of the electorate. 

“With the nearing 2025 national and local elections, as well as the next 2025 barangay elections just around the corner, there is a need to investigate these allegations of electoral malpractices to prevent their recurrence by crafting new legislation, or amending and strengthening existing ones, as may be necessary,” it stated. 

“The allegations of fraud, anomalies and election irregularities have become perennial issues every election, and the low rate of prosecution, either criminal or administrative, of election offenses as well as the low rate of conviction emboldens people to commit illegal acts,” the resolution continued. --Dexter Barro II