Letter a blatant lie, cited statements meant to conceal facts
I WRITE TO DISPUTE THE letter of Juan A. Diaz, falsely accusing me of having ordered the snatching of the computer used in the registration of voters in the town of Kalinggalan Caluang, Sulu. (Inquirer, 12/9/09)
The letter actually refers to the enforcement of the lawful order of the provincial election officer of Sulu reverting the place of registration from Barangay Karungdong, which was unlawfully declared by Gov. Sakur Tan and his Sangguniang Panlalawigan as the seat of government of Kalinggalan Caluang, to the town’s officially recognized capital and seat of government, which is Barangay Pitogo.
And there is no truth to the statements that armed men threatened to massacre or kill civilians unless the registration in Barangay Karungdong was stopped. Neither is it true that I ordered armed men to commit those dastardly crimes. The letter, aside from being a blatant lie, is actually a clever and well-calculated attempt to conceal some of the events that transpired in the various towns of Sulu province, especially in Maimbung (first district) and Pata (second district).
In Maimbung, hometown of Governor Tan, armed members of his civilian volunteer organizations (CVOs), numbering about 500, supported by his two armored vehicles mounted with .50 caliber machine guns, surrounded the town hall of Maimbung and forced the election officer to allow flying voters and his CVOs to register there, contrary to law.
In Pata, the registration was actually held inside the house of the vice mayor, while a registered voter from a neighboring barangay was shot to death on the doorstep of the house of the mayor. Both incidents are now the subject of investigations by the office of the Commission on Elections.
I expect this would shed light on the issue raised by Diaz’s letter.
—REP. MUNIR M. ARBISON,
Second District,
Province of Sulu
