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Comelec district supervisor, Musa Dimasidsing, the whistleblower who came out and exposed the wholesale cheating in Maguindanao, as well as confirmed the numerous allegations by other teachers who witnessed the cheating, was gunned down last Saturday night at an Islamic School by unidentified men.

The Facts

[Dimasidsing] exposed alleged electoral fraud in Pagalungan, Maguindanao. Chief Supt. Felizardo Serapio Jr., Central Mindanao police director, said Dimasidsing died of gunshot wounds to the face and chest.

Dimasidsing, the designated election supervisor in Maguindanao during the elections, reportedly witnessed the alleged rigging of the votes in the province.

She also filed a complaint against several members of the Board of Election Inspectors after accusing them of committing irregularities in the canvassing of results in Pagalungan.

Dimasidsing was said to be the one who also confirmed the testimonies of Pagalungan Elementary School teachers that they were harassed and intimidated by political operators behind the town’s election irregularities.

She also reported to authorities that four ballot boxes were snatched by armed men believed working for a politician in Pagalungan during the May 14 elections.

Dimasidsing death came as Comelec commissioners in Manila are starting to get a clearer picture of the wholesale cheating in Maguindanao. via gmanews.tv

“This has something to do with the (May 14) elections in Pagalungan,” said Pagalungan Vice Mayor Norodin Matalam, who contested his defeat to Uto Montawal in the mayoral race.

He claimed that the victim and other members of the Board of Election Inspectors were being forced to sign a petition stating that there were no poll irregularities and atrocities. Dimasidsing refused to sign the petition. (via Inquirer.net)

You will also note that another election fraud that allegedly occurred was with the 190 missing election returns that were disregarded and never canvassed. This occurred in Pagalungan as well.

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Some Analysis and Thoughts

Is it too much to put some effort in guarding the safety of these whistleblowers? When we know that the Maguindanao Vote was the one to be looked at in these following weeks, especially when the new focus date was set to be Monday.

These brave men and women who stand by their dedication to serve the public, who stand by to serve democracy in the face of death, brave souls who are the opposite to those who killed them.

Make no mistake this death falls upon the responsibility of Comelec to not safeguard these witnesses, to the foot-dragging in the investigation of Maguindanao, and the lack of respect that they have had overall for these witnesses. To the Comelec whose goal is supposed to oversee an election, the cheating in Maguindanao, and the cover up that is taking place has all but erased any successes that they may have had.

This also falls on the local politicians who have no respect to the value of human life, but only the value of winning in the elections by any means possible.

The almost sickening manner by which this brave teacher died, will again be “investigated”, but with The Comelec at the helm of such incompetence and an almost blatant disregard and lack of respect for these witnesses, they are once again the scorn of many Filipinos.

What Should Have Happened

If I were Comelec Chairman, seeing that there were disturbing anomalies in Maguindanao a little over three weeks ago, I would’ve ordered the protection of Maguindanao whistleblowers, the immediate forming of a Task Force, and within a few days have the Task Force conduct investigations on the individuals involved. I would’ve also ordered the arrest of Lintang Bedol weeks ago. And ordered the immediate subpoenas of other elections supervisors who did not show up two weeks ago when they were ordered to explain the anomalies in Maguindanao.

But, none of these things happened, and being a logical person, one can only conclude three things: either the heads of Comelec are incompetent, they are involved in the cheating, or both. Because if the Comelec were a business, these officials would have been fired months ago, especially in the past few weeks in which they have shown a lack of urgency, lack of leadership, and a lack of organization.

Closing Thoughts

The death of Musa Dimasidsing is a tragedy that should never have happened, because of the lack of respect the Comelec has shown these witnesses, they have all been threatened, or in this case, gunned down. If there is no positive investigation and arrests in relation to this shooting, then it is highly suspect that politicians and even the police are not coming forward to show the truth in this matter.

At this point, The Comelec should issue protection orders for the rest of the witnesses, and also have Commissioner Necodemo Ferrer finally commence the investigation and stop his foot dragging in this situation. Conclude within themselves that Lintang Bedol can no longer be trusted, and have him put under arrest. You do not need to wait any longer for the cooperation of the Provincial Board of Canvassers, because they have already shown they are not willing to cooperate.

Any more delays will only prove to the public that Comelec may indeed be involved in these anomalies or at least know who are behind these tragic events.

Lastly, I call on the resignation of the current Comelec Officials, a full-blown investigation by a credible commission, and I also call on the help of citizen groups as well as the newly proclaimed Senate to start enacting their power to investigate one of the most blatant attempts of electoral sabotage in a long standing war against our right of suffrage.

The Comelec cannot be trusted to credibly investigate these anomalies, they have already shown their incompetence and lack of impartiality as well as their lack of respect for the many witnesses that have surfaced to expose electoral fraud and sabotage that occurred.