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Ever since Ricky Carandang broke the story on the Election Returns that were being held for “safekeeping” in a hotel in Lanao Del Norte, the cloud of doubt in the Lanao elections have grown, and with this story, Ricky and Noel Alamar of DZMM have also received death threats regarding the story.

Ricky wrote in his recent blog entry regarding the incident and makes four points.

1. Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said that he gave orders to Surmieda and company to collect the ERs from the provincial treasurer, but no written order was given to Surmieda or Macarambong. And that the excuse of a verbal order probably came after the fact, to cover their asses after people in the treasurer’s office blew the whistle.

2. Why would Sarmiento entrust the ERs to Surmieda and Macarambong, known ‘Garci boys’. Sarmiento’s answer was that he did not know any of these people were connected to ‘Garci’.

3. The Flip flopping of Sarmiento’s answer before and after being given evidence that in fact the ERs were held in the Maria Christina Hotel in Iligan City. Before the fact, denying vigrously. After the fact, stating that he knew nothing.

4. If everything was so legitimate, then why all the death threats against Ricky and Noel?

Personally, I think this is one of the biggest stories that is coming out of this midterm election. Just another commissioner gone wrong. And to think, earlier the other day, Abalos greeted Sarmiento by grasping Sarmiento’s arm as if declaring him a winning candidate…

Ellen wrote in her blog post entry, titled, “Look of The Year” which was regarding Sarmiento’s look when confronted with video evidence of the “safeguarding of the ERs”.

In Carandang’s explosive report, he asked Sarmiento about the transported ER’s and he denied it. When told that the ERS were in the hotel, he and Surmieda, who acted like more like a thug rather than a Comelec official, Sarmiento still denied it.

But when Carandang showed the video he took of the ERs being hauled to the hotel’s elevator, Sarmiento grappled for a justification. He looked pathetic. He said the transfer was upon his orders to make sure that the documents would not be used to rig the special elections in parts of the province. The provincial treasurer, however, said she did not know about Sarmiento’s orders.

When asked by Carandang, why he would entrust custody of the important documents to a group of Comelec officials that included Renault “Boy” Macarambon, Sarmiento reacted sharply and talked about “due process”.

What will happen to Macarambong, Surmieda, and Sarmiento? Will they get out of this controversy unscathed? By the looks of Abalos earlier and the vehement denials coming from Sarmiento, it may look like it. That is, only if we let them get away scott free..

Ricky and Noel are individuals that I respect very much. By bringing to light this incident, we see that the attempts to rig the Lanao elections went all the way to the top.

If even the highest official in charge of the Lanao Special Elections, Sarmiento himself, could not find it within himself to provide an honest election process, and stay within legal boundaries, then why should we believe the validity of the Lanao Elections?

You can read the ABS-CBN report here
You can read about the death threats here

Lastly, I would like to take this time to give thanks to Noel, Ricky, and all the other journalists who are risking their lives everyday to cover this election. They are taking to heart what it truly means to get the story straight, and to bring to light the truth and information that the Filipino Public deserve.

To the thugs who are behind the threats, words cannot explain my disgust. Should all of you be brought to justice, I hope they find no mercy in the sentencing. May God help your soul.

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