Update: Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Elias Yusoph has denied that he received money from local candidates in Lanao del Sur province before the May 10 elections as accused by a military official.
He also chided Brig. Gen. Ray Ardo, chief of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade, for coming up with an accusation based on “rumors and hearsay.”
by Froilan Gallardo
Mindanews
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY— It was all about the huge amount of bribe money that corrupted election officials who issued orders to cluster polling precincts to favored politicians during the last elections in May, military officers and poll watchdog groups said.
“Politicians who lost a lot of money want to recoup their losses. That is the reason why Nuraldin was kidnapped,” said Brig. Gen. Ray Ardo, chief of the Army’s 103rd Infantry Brigade. “They want to be refunded,” he added.
At the center of the controversy that hounded the kidnapping of Nuraldin is his father Elias, the only Muslim commissioner in the Commission on Elections.
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), in its luwaran.com website, said that “the kidnapping was a collective effort” of all losers in the election “to force him [Commissioner Yusoph] to refund the bribes given him during the elections” as it accused the election official of “[taking] money from all sides.”
There was no immediate comment from the elder Yusoph and his family about the accusation.
Sources provided Mindanews with a copy of a Comelec order dated on May 9, 2010 ordering the clustering of polling precincts from 19 to 55 in Marawi City.
The order was signed by Comelec Chair Jose Melo who annotated that “his signature was made upon recommendation of Commissioner Yusoph.”
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento signed with “reservation” while Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer did not sign at all. Commissioners Yusoph, Armando Velasco, Gregorio Larazabal, and Lucenito Tagle also signed.
Ardo said the order benefited Marawi City Mayor Sultan Fre Fahad who went on to win the mayoralty election over former Mayor Abbas Basman.
Did you notice that Commissioner Yusoph did not come to Marawi during the entire 29 days when Nuraldin was in the kidnappers’ custody? He was scared that all the losing politicians will gang up on him and demand a refund,” Ardo said.
Ardo himself is no stranger to election cheating. In 2004, he was among the military officers who were accused of rigging the elections for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Last February 2009, Yusoph, a provincial prosecutor in Marawi City, was appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to the Comelec to replace Commissioner Romeo Brawner who died.
“Remember I did not give you a clear answer when you asked me about Yusoph after he was appointed. It is because I do not trust him at all,” said Hadji Abdullah Dalidig, head of the Islamic Movement for Electoral Reforms and Good Governance (IMERGG).
He confirmed that bribes were paid to pay election officials in the last May 10 elections.
Dalidig, who chaired the National Citizens Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) in Lanao del Sur, was the 2004 whistleblower who uncovered the dagdag-bawas electoral cheating that allegedly benefited former President Arroyo.
The young Yusoph was moved from one hideout to another before he was released in Cagayan de Oro City late Monday afternoon, more than a hundred kilometers from where he was abducted in Marawi City on June 20.
This was the surprise ending of the 29-day hostage ordeal of the young Yusoph who was snatched in in front of the Bato Ali Mosque in Marawi City.
Wearing a dark blue jacket and white tshirt, Nuraldin appeared to be dazed and at times covered his face from the glare of photographers’ flashes and TV camera lights.
“I was constantly threatened and blindfolded. I was always moved around from one place to another,” the young Yusoph told reporters before he was whisked to Manila this morning. He said he was threatened to be killed at least nine times while in captivity.
The 22-year-old Yusoph said he could not recall the places where his abductors had taken him during the 29-day captivity.
“I only remembered the threats. I could not see anything,” he said.
The young Yusoph said his kidnappers at first fed him only once a day. But his food intake was increased as the days went by.
Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong said the kidnappers released Nuraldin at Junction Ilaya, Macanhan and Masterson road in Barangay Carmen, this city around 5:10 pm. Monday.
Adiong said the family of Yusoph did not pay any ransom for the safe release. Nuraldin was whisked to Manila this morning and brought to his father
OMG, am I wrong in connecting Commissioner Yusoph’s vote for Mikey Arroyo to represent Ang Galing Pinoy in Congress with the release of his son.
“to force him [Commissioner Yusoph] to refund the bribes given him during the elections” as it accused the election official of “[taking] money from all sides.”
Oh wow! You are right RosaMarta! Makes sense. I knew it, I knew it… at least one COMELEC official was BRIBED big time to approve Mikey Arroyo’s bid (only need to bribe one key official who will do the follow on bribes.)
another victim of corruption, what goes around comes around, the sin of the father paid by the son
SA kwento, parang pinagpasapasahan yung anak ng mga talunang politiko para mabawi ang gastos sa amang Yusoph. Ganda naman ng style. Pag nabigay na sa isa, pasa sa pangalawa na irerelease sa third kapag nabayaran na si second and so on.
Possible din na ang huling humawak sa batang Yusoph ay yung congressman ng mga sekyu, driver atbp para siguraduhing pipirma si Yusoph sa Comelec decision.
Bakit, Pareng Oblak?
Naaamoy mo ba ‘yung tae ng kabayo?
Galing mo, ah.
Talo mo pa ang K-9.
“Adiong said the family of Yusoph did not pay any ransom for the safe release. Nuraldin was whisked to Manila this morning and brought to his father”
No ransom paid, sinoli lang yung perang di kanya?!?! 😛
Probably unrelated development from the blog of Harry Roque:
The Center For International Law (Centerlaw), counsel for 14 media victims of the Maguindanao massacre, condemns in the strongest terms possible, the release today of two individuals behind the murder of the Maguindanao massacre witness “Jessie”. The two suspects, Abdullah Pasawilan and Morced Simpal, were both arrested last July 2, 2010 on a search warrant issued by the RTC of Cotabato for illegal possession of firearms ans explosives. Ballistic examinations later showed that a .45 caliber pistol, 1911 model (SN 851773) seized from the suspects was the same gun used to kill the witness “Jessie”.
Read the complete article here: http://harryroque.com/2010/07/22/centerlaw-condemns-the-release-of-killers-of-maguindanao-massacre-witness-jessie/
Posted in the thread on Mikey Aroyo before this article came out by Celestial Being – July 22, 2010 2:08 am
Isn’t Elias Yusoph’s son just got released recently by his abductors……hmmmm I can smell something fishy… Elias Yusoph is one of the Commisioners that voted to let Mickey Mouse sit.
No need to be a rocket scientist to figure this one out! Grabe talaga ang mga galamay ni pandak! Pandak, her pig hubby, horse sons know how the Mindanao kidnappers operate. Back door negotiations. Maybe it is the pandak who paid the politicians who lost in exchange for the horse son’s seat in tongress. Clever! Kabisado na natin ang transactional operations ni pandak at ng kanyang pamilya na puro mandurugas! These gangsters have to stop!
There is a saying “Look beyond what you can see.” Is it a coincidence that after the release of Yusoph’s son they voted straight away to let Mickey sit for Ang Galing. Just looking from the out side of the box it is not just for the Mindanao area that the son has been abducted it has to do with a bigger picture.
Swerte siya kidnap lang. Na-soft touch lang siya. Yung dalawang Muslim na nauna sa Comelec, sina Atty. Alioden Dalaig na pinatay pag labas ng casino sa Hyatt at si Atty. Wynne Asdala na successor ni Dalaig na ilang beses na na-record sa Hello Garci ay pinatay ng nakamotorsiklo sa Intramuros. Ang suspect sa dalawang krimen? Si PO1 Basser AMPATUAN ng Maguindanao.
Kagaya ni Yusoph, meron din silang inaayos na mga protesta/dayaan sa Lanao at Maguindanao noon. Isa-isang nililinis ng mga kagaya ng mga Ampatuan ang mga sagabal. Kaya yung pagpatay kay Jessie, ganun na rin yan. Luma nang modus-operandi nila, hanggang ngayon nagagawa pa.
May kinalaman din kaya ang mga Arroyo?
Kung gusto ninyong balikan ang mga istorya:
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/129328/Witness-backs-out-of-Comelec-officials-murder-case
http://www.pcij.org/blog/?p=2241
Now that the son has been released, should a motion for recon be filed, will he be kidnapped again?
Problem is, the case is now before the Supreme Court, and out of the hands of the comelec.
I find this incredible. And no comment from Commissioner Yusoph.
So nililigpit na lahat.
Kailan kaya Mag-su-suicide si Abalos or Neri?
Sa DPWH. Mayroon bang biglang nagka-depression?
And where is Garci, by the way?
both Abalos and Neri are like Judas Iscariot..kaya puede silang magsuicide like Judas..kung mayroon silang yagball..pero mukhang wala eh..ang alam lang nila ay golf balls…at palagi pang nawawala… si Neri mag harakiri? malabo! magkirikiri pa seguro…si Abalos naman wala ng pagasa..Aba! lost na yon…matanda na malabo na siya maka maka hole in one…baka mag minigolf na lang sila…
Walang pagbabago dyan sa COMELEC! Walang mag-reresign na commissioner kahit anong baho nila, unless our own members ng government at ang mga talunan na nagoyo ng mga ito collectively wants this change to happen! What comes around goes around ika nga! Wala lang sanang madamay na mga inosenteng taongbayan in the future! All the same. It falls back to GMA! Well done mam for appointing Yusoph!
rose:
I did not mean harakiri.
I meant somebody might make their demise look like suicide. Sabi nga ng CIA, “he was suicided”.
Sax, thanks..hindi nga puedeng magharakiri si Neri..one will only do that if he loses face…in the case of Neri or Abalos..what face would they lose? both have loose faces anyway…mga walang hiya…seriously speaking though sayang si Neri, matalino ata siya…sayang na sayang ang intelligence niya..ginamit sa masama…
Napansin nyo ba, Muslim Commissioners ang humahawak ng mga kaso sa ARMM? Pag di nakuha ang gusto ng mga politiko, pinapatay? I-assign na yang si Ferrer sa Lanao, para matapos na yang lecheng yan.
Ang sino mang mapadikit sa mgagarapal-arrovo ay 199.99% na nagiging sinungaling, mandaraya, kurakot, walang kahihiyan. Sabihin mang Muslim o Kristiyano, tinatalo sila ng kamandag ng katiwaliang hindi lang nakatahi kundi bumabalot sa katauhan ng babaeng salot numero uno sa ating kasaysayan.