A Maranao, working in one of the departments of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) is behind the on-going multi-million peso extortion racket happening inside the electoral body. This Maranao election official is reportedly the bagman of several high-ranking Comelec officials.
The Maranao, a close associate of former Comelec official Atty. Ray Sumalipao, formerly regional director of the ARMM, is the mafiosi of the extortion group who reportedly forced some partylist groups to cough up money just to secure the Comelec's approval.
Atty. Sumalipao is one of three Muslim lawyers involved in the Hello Garci scandal. The Maranao extortionist is also the one suspected of having deals with Alioden Dalaig, the Comelec legal chief, who was brutally assassinated in 2007.
An on-going probe is being conducted as I write this.
The Maranao, whose codename is "Patrick", is reportedly in hiding as I write this. He is being blamed for the rejection of a big partylist organization and other legitimate partylist groups. These groups did not give in to the extortion of Patrick's group. This "Patrick" whose sibling is running for an elective post in Lanao del Sur, also name dropped Atty. Boy Macarambon's name as one of his closest associates inside the Comelec.
According to reports, the Maranao reportedly counts as accomplices four lawyers working in the second division of the Comelec, another Muslim staffer of Muslim Commissioner Yusoph and Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer. The official, whom I will name in the next few days, also dropped the name of Atty. Boy Macarambon, as the one supporting his illicit activities. Comelec insiders however cleared Macarambon from complicity.
The Comelec official reportedly ask some partylist groups to give their "insider" group between 700,000 pesos to 3 million pesos to secure accreditation. Comelec has not released its decision on the petitions of some partylist groups because certain lawyers working in the divisions refused to release them because these people are reportedly waiting for the monies promised to them by "Patrick".
Patrick reportedly, did not give the monies and is now in hiding.
I asked Comelec chairman Jose Melo to look into this case very closely. This scandal will really destroy the integrity of the poll body and put the entire electoral process under very serious ill-repute.
I also ask my Maranao friends, especially Samira Gutoc, to help victims of this "Patrick" seek justice. This is a very serious accusation which affects the integrity of other Maranaos working in the Comelec.
IN the past, names of Muslims working in the Comelec have been dragged into very serious scandals in the poll body. Those involved in the Hello Garci scandal and others are Muslims. And the illicit activities of this Patrick would really destroy the reputations of other honest Muslims working in the Commission.
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