Basilan lawmaker calls attention to ‘kinks’ as polls open

Courtesy of Staff of Rep. Mujiv Hataman

ZAMBOANGA CITY — Basilan Representative Mujiv Hataman called attention to some kinks as village and youth polls opened on Monday morning, Oct. 30.

Hataman made the rounds in Basilan towns to observe the political exercise.

In Lantawan town, he called the attention of some police personnel deployed at the Lantawan Proper Elementary School after reports of voters being prevented from entering polling places.

“Please let the people vote, if they are not creating troubles here, allow them to vote,” Hataman said to police officers securing the school.

“Ang pagboto ay karapatan ng sinuman, wag nating isakripisyo ang ating uniporme at sirain ang imahe ng [Voting is the right of everyon; let us not sacrifice our uniform and destroy the image of the] PNP (Philippine National Police),” Hataman added.

In Maluso town, Hataman called the attention of a team of Army soldiers securing a voting center after the electoral board transferred the venue of balloting without authority from the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

During a brief conversation, Hataman told the soldiers that what the document given them was only a request for transfer of the voting center, which the Comelec did not approve.

Hataman worried that there could be some “conspiracy” to have the balloting venue transferred in order to have someone control the flow of people going there.