[Bloquez l'empire!] [Montreal] The Gazette: Observers slam voting corruption in Philippines

[Stefan Christoff]

The Gazette: Observers slam voting corruption in Philippines
'Not a vibrant democracy'

Sikander Hasmi, The Gazette
Published: Sunday, June 03, 2007

http://www.canada.com/montrealgazette/news/story.html?id=451372db-f037-4d3d-8218-f51083b85b65&k=79252

The Philippines is a not a "vibrant, thriving democracy" and the federal 
government should review Canada's ties with the Pacific island nation, a group 
of Montreal observers who witnessed the country's mid-term elections said 
yesterday.

"We didn't see a vibrant democracy. What we did see was coercion, corruption, 
and violence," journalist and observer Stefan Christoff said at a news 
conference outside St. James United Church.

According to the Centre for Philippine Concern, the May 14 legislative 
elections are of major political significance because U.S.-backed President 
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is attempting to hold on to power in both the House of 
Representatives and the Senate. The next presidential election is scheduled for 
2010.

"What we witnessed first hand was vote buying (and) the effects of the military 
violence," said Christoff.

"We interviewed dozens of community residents who vividly described the armed 
forces of the Philippines entering communities and demanding that people vote 
in certain ways and not vote in other ways."

Observers from 12 countries summarized that this wasn't a random occurrence, 
Christoff said.

Observer and visual artist Freda Guttman recounted how Efraim Genuino, the head 
of the country's gaming corporation who has close ties with the president, 
intimidated vote counters.

"He strode into this vast sort of arena-like area, looking like Mussolini and 
with body guards who were armed," she said.

"He went in with two bodyguard into the rooms where the counting was taking 
place and would ask people who were counting which party they were from."

Guttman added that two of Genuino's sons were running in the riding.

There have been more than 850 political killings and 200 abductions in the 
Philippines since 2001, Christoff said. Human rights organizations, including 
Amnesty International, have accused the current government of complicity in the 
killings.

Canadian companies have mining interests in the Philippines and the federal 
government offers military assistance to the country's army the same army the 
observers implicate in the killings and other human rights abuses.

"The Canadian government should stop holding a hypocritical position where its 
willing to point out human rights abuses in certain countries and not others," 
Christoff said.

Ottawa needs to take a stand, he said, because by supporting the government 
economically, Canada is inherently supporting the "political situation the 
government is maintaining, which is human rights abuses, fraud, and fraudulent 
democracy."

Beaconsfield United Church clerygman Shaun Fryday said that the country's 
president has the power to stop the killings and abuses.

"The president is, unlike other governments, the head of the government, the 
head of state, and the head of the armed forces. So she has all the power 
within her office to end this but she chooses not to because she continues to 
manipulate the system," Fryday said.

Officials at the Philippines embassy in Ottawa weren't available for comment.

shashmi at thegazette.canwest.com

© The Gazette 2007
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