Women’s group claims midterm polls marred by vote rigging, vote buying

MANILA, Philippines — A women’s rights group on Friday claimed that the recently concluded 2019 midterm polls were marred by vote rigging and vote buying.

The Center for Women’s Resources (CWR) group said that it “mourns the death of genuine democracy with the widespread electoral fraud and violence” and that the “results did not reflect our votes.”

“We rage against the systemic attack on our democratic rights with vote rigging and vote buying,” CWR added in a statement. “We join the protesting people because the results did not reflect our votes.”

The group also said the lack of transparency and credibility “has been so apparent right at the start” and that election violence, harassment, and red-tagging became rampant as election day drew closer.

“Alarmingly, the politicians who are geared to win the elections are the same persons who expressed unwavering support to the President who wanted the implementation of the death penalty, foreign ownership, and perpetual power through charter change and federalism,” CWR said.

“They blindly support the President who orchestrated the killings and attacks of thousands through Oplan Tokhang, Martial Law in Mindanao, and crackdown against activists,” the group added.

Partial and unofficial tally of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) showed that the candidates endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte dominated the senate race as of 10:41p.m. on Thursday.

Duterte’s senatorial bets were Cynthia Villar, who is leading the race, Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, Sonny Angara, Imee Marcos, Francis Tolentino, and Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.

READ: Latest PPCRV tally: Villar, Poe maintain Senate race lead

The group then urged the public to remain vigilant in guarding democracy and their rights.

“We may be going against the current, we may be treading a rocky path, but we have proven in the past that through our collective action, we can steer change especially when we are challenged by a tyrannical rule,” the CWR stated. (Editor: Eden Estopace)