Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general election, 2008
Encyclopedia
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general elections was held in the ARMM for the regional governor, vice-governor posts and election of members of the ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
on August 11, 2008. The electronic voting
used is the first in Philippines
election
history. The P 500 million COMELEC's "ARMM balloting" is a pilot program for the 2010 national polling.
must be held on the second Monday of August for every three years.
-based American Information System (AIS) were subject of the Senate Committee experiment led by Miriam Santiago. It found the machines defective. Again in the May 11, 1998 ARMM elections, the same machines were tested and were found defective, resulting to manual counting next day.
On July 22, 2008, however, the COMELEC, using the present machines, conducted a successful “mock poll" and simulated the actual processes and procedure for the August 11 ARMM election.
(automated) polls had some 1.6 million Filipino
-Muslims registered voters, who will elect a governor, vice governor and regional legislators for the ARMM
. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that it will be using 3,300 electronic voting machines in Maguindanao
and 156 "automated counting machines" (Electronic voting
) in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Shariff Kabunsuan, and Lanao del Sur. It will using 2 technologies, namely Smartmatic-Sahi Direct Recording Electronic (DRE voting machine
), while Optical scan voting system
(Optical Mark Readers)(AVANTE International Technology, Inc.) will be used in the 5 other provinces of the ARMM. These include the 17 automated counting machines brought by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, head of the COMELEC's team in Basilan, to Lamitan and Isabela cities. 11,000 military personnel and 7,000 policemen or a total of 18,000-strong security force were placed to secure the polls. The historical first "fully" automation elections will not be disrupted by power outage, since each machine has a battery packs reserve power good for 16 hours.
DRE or “touch screen electronic voting,” allows voters to "simply touch the pictures of candidates they wish to elect," and were especially for disabled and illiterate voters.
"No writing of names" is the principal feature of OMR machines. Voters have to simply shade the circles beside the candidates’ names. COMELEC has 9 counting machines in 5 precincts. Each can count 100 ballots in a minute. A 24-digit randomly generated bar code identifies the ballot as emanating from a specific precinct, and the OMR is programmed to count only ballots from designated precincts. The laptop’s keyboard is also locked.
The COMELEC, further, provided: AVANTE OMR SYSTEM CONTINUITY (CONTIGENCY) PLAN 08.08.2008 and SMARTMATIC-SAHI CONTIGENCY PLAN 08.08.2008 http://www.comelec.gov.ph/press_statements/2008armm/OMR_continuity_plan.pdf http://www.comelec.gov.ph/press_statements/2008armm/smartmatic_contigency_%20plan.pdf With these, the COMELEC predicted it would be able to proclaim the winning candidates in less than 36 hours.
The COMELEC, mowever, identified election "hotspots," consisting of 668 barangays (election areas of concern) and 49 (areas of immediate concern).
GMA Network
's Reporter's Notebook, on August 12, 2008, aired a documentary on the Comelec 2008 "Election Automation."
, Shariff Kabunsuan
, Lanao del Sur
, Basilan
, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi
, in the ARMM and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan
, pursuant to Sec. 2(5), Art. IX (c) of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
and Sec. 52(k) of the Omnibus Election Code. Also, volunteers from the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), one of Comelec’s accredited citizens’ arms, were deployed in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.
(MILF) Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain” of the “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity” or territory deal amid the Supreme Court of the Philippines
' temporary brake (TRO). On August 4, the High Tribunal issued a Temporary Restraining Order directing representatives of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front “to cease and desist from formally signing the MOA. In the consolidated petitions of officials from the province of North Cotabato represented by Governor Jesus Sacadalan and Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol (GR No. 183591), as well as that of city officials of Zamboanga represented by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, Rep. Ma. Isabelle G. Climaco, and Rep. Erico Basilio A. Fabian (GR No. 183752), the Court ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to submit to the Court and to the petitioners copies of the final draft of the MOA not later than August 8, 2008, and scheduled an Oral Argument on August 15, 9 a.m.
Under the failed deal, ARMM would include 700 barangays in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte
and Zamboanga
, causing vehement objections from officials and residents. Zamboanga City
Mayor Celso Lobregat, however, pointed that the expanded MILF homeland deal will cover 1,459 villages, and not just 700 barangays in the agreement’s (Annex A) that would establish the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE). He said Annex B areas were described as “special intervention areas": 40 villages in Zambonga City, as well as several villages in the provinces of Sarangani, Zambonga Sibugay, Zambonga del Sur, Zambonga del Norte, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Lanao del Norte.
Accordingly, tensions amid fears erupted just days before the election, when hundreds of MILF rebels sequestered villages in North Cotabato's 3 towns, burning homes, seizing farm animals and forcing evacuation of 1,500 families. The government gave the rebels ultimatum to clear the villages, and the rebels backed off, in due course.
opined that: "The main objective of the MOA is to amend the Organic Act which established the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The amendment envisions expansion of the geographical area of the ARMM and of its autonomous character. These objectives cannot be achieved by a mere memorandum of agreement. It will involve amending the Organic Act for the ARMM and the Constitution. The current Organic Act for ARMM is not any ordinary law. It is the product of a 3-step process prescribed by the Constitution: the formation of a regional consultative commission whose task was to enlighten the legislators who were to draft the law; drafting of the Organic Act itself by Congress; and the plebiscite conducted among the areas concerned. The original 1989 Organic Act was replaced by the Organic Act of 2001 which incorporated the salient features of the 1996 Peace Agreement entered into between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). A 2002 decision of the Supreme Court would later make it clear that provisions of the Organic Act can be amended only through the legislative-cum-plebiscite process.The controversial MOA, product of innumerable GRP-MILF dialogues, did not go through a broad consultation. The lack of consultation is now being defended by government as a matter of “executive privilege.” The Organic Act is similar in nature to a Constitution. It is an embodiment of the will of the sovereign people of Mindanao. In the end, those who are pushing for the achievement of the goals of the MOA will have no choice but to feed it into the legislative process. Indeed, when the document begins to be subjected to scrutiny, there will be a lot to debate about."
. Incumbent Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, 41, (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
party) is seeking reelection, the first governor to do so since ARMM creation in 1990. Ampatuan is challenged by Guimid Panalangin Matalam (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and Jupakar Pindah-Asia Arabani, Ismain Berto Ibrahim, Alvarez Silal Isnaji, Ahmad Darping Nooh and Ali Jumadil Omar—all running as independents. Isnaji is detained in connection the Ces Drilon
case. 5 candidates joined the vice gubernatorial race while 78 aspire to become regional lawmakers.
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Candidate
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
|-
|align=left| Zaldy Puti U. Ampatuan
|align=left| Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
||align="right"|1,017,179
|-
|align=left| Alvarez S. Isnaji
|align=left| Independent
||align="right"|22,446
|-
|align=left| Ali J. Omar
|align=left| Independent
||align="right"|16,902
|-
|align=left| Guimid P. Matalam
|align=left| Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino ||align="right"|15,283
|-
|align=left| Juprakar P. Arabani
|align=left| Independent
||align="right"|11,648
|-
|align=left| Ismail B. Ibrahim
|align=left| Independent
||align="right"|7,223
|-
|align=left| Ahmad D. Nooh
|align=left| Independent
||align="right"|2,280
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|Total
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,092,961
|}
|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Candidate
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
|-
|align=left|
|align=left| ||align="right"|
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|Total
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
|}
—visited 443 precincts in the ARMM. The machines only prevented cheating in the counting and the canvassing, as it stopped "dagdag-bawas" or the vote padding and shaving of votes, but the machines failed to prevent the way voters are individually influenced—or even forced—to vote for particular candidates.The secrecy of the ballot was also violated since board of election inspectors often assisted voters, indicating their support for particular candidates, and vote-buying was rampant.
ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao has a unicameral Regional Legislative Assembly headed by a Speaker. It is composed of three members for every congressional district...
on August 11, 2008. The electronic voting
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
used is the first in Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
election
Election
An election is a formal decision-making process by which a population chooses an individual to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy operates since the 17th century. Elections may fill offices in the legislature, sometimes in the...
history. The P 500 million COMELEC's "ARMM balloting" is a pilot program for the 2010 national polling.
Background
Pursuant to Republic Act No. 9333 in which elections for the posts of Regional Governor and Regional Vice-Governor and members of the ARMM Regional Legislative AssemblyARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao has a unicameral Regional Legislative Assembly headed by a Speaker. It is composed of three members for every congressional district...
must be held on the second Monday of August for every three years.
Failed tests
ARMM had been used as a testing ground for computerized elections. On September 9, 1996, 42 optical scanners ($ 15,000 each), from NebraskaNebraska
Nebraska is a state on the Great Plains of the Midwestern United States. The state's capital is Lincoln and its largest city is Omaha, on the Missouri River....
-based American Information System (AIS) were subject of the Senate Committee experiment led by Miriam Santiago. It found the machines defective. Again in the May 11, 1998 ARMM elections, the same machines were tested and were found defective, resulting to manual counting next day.
On July 22, 2008, however, the COMELEC, using the present machines, conducted a successful “mock poll" and simulated the actual processes and procedure for the August 11 ARMM election.
COMELEC preparations
The Philippines' first-ever Electronic votingElectronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
(automated) polls had some 1.6 million Filipino
Filipino people
The Filipino people or Filipinos are an Austronesian ethnic group native to the islands of the Philippines. There are about 92 million Filipinos in the Philippines, and about 11 million living outside the Philippines ....
-Muslims registered voters, who will elect a governor, vice governor and regional legislators for the ARMM
ARMM
ARMM can mean:* Automated Retroactive Minimal Moderation, a program to aid in the control of Usenet abuse, see ARMM * Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao...
. The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced that it will be using 3,300 electronic voting machines in Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
and 156 "automated counting machines" (Electronic voting
Electronic voting
Electronic voting is a term encompassing several different types of voting, embracing both electronic means of casting a vote and electronic means of counting votes....
) in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Shariff Kabunsuan, and Lanao del Sur. It will using 2 technologies, namely Smartmatic-Sahi Direct Recording Electronic (DRE voting machine
DRE voting machine
A direct-recording electronic voting machine records votes by means of a ballot display provided with mechanical or electro-optical components that can be activated by the voter ; that processes data by means of a computer program; and that records voting data and ballot images in memory components...
), while Optical scan voting system
Optical scan voting system
An optical scan voting system is an electronic voting system and uses an optical scanner to read marked paper ballots and tally the results.-History:...
(Optical Mark Readers)(AVANTE International Technology, Inc.) will be used in the 5 other provinces of the ARMM. These include the 17 automated counting machines brought by Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer, head of the COMELEC's team in Basilan, to Lamitan and Isabela cities. 11,000 military personnel and 7,000 policemen or a total of 18,000-strong security force were placed to secure the polls. The historical first "fully" automation elections will not be disrupted by power outage, since each machine has a battery packs reserve power good for 16 hours.
DRE or “touch screen electronic voting,” allows voters to "simply touch the pictures of candidates they wish to elect," and were especially for disabled and illiterate voters.
"No writing of names" is the principal feature of OMR machines. Voters have to simply shade the circles beside the candidates’ names. COMELEC has 9 counting machines in 5 precincts. Each can count 100 ballots in a minute. A 24-digit randomly generated bar code identifies the ballot as emanating from a specific precinct, and the OMR is programmed to count only ballots from designated precincts. The laptop’s keyboard is also locked.
The COMELEC, further, provided: AVANTE OMR SYSTEM CONTINUITY (CONTIGENCY) PLAN 08.08.2008 and SMARTMATIC-SAHI CONTIGENCY PLAN 08.08.2008 http://www.comelec.gov.ph/press_statements/2008armm/OMR_continuity_plan.pdf http://www.comelec.gov.ph/press_statements/2008armm/smartmatic_contigency_%20plan.pdf With these, the COMELEC predicted it would be able to proclaim the winning candidates in less than 36 hours.
The COMELEC, mowever, identified election "hotspots," consisting of 668 barangays (election areas of concern) and 49 (areas of immediate concern).
GMA Network
GMA Network
GMA Network is a major commercial television & radio network in the Philippines. GMA Network is owned by GMA Network, Inc. a publicly listed company...
's Reporter's Notebook, on August 12, 2008, aired a documentary on the Comelec 2008 "Election Automation."
Limitations
Comelec automation may reduce human intervention in votes counts, but the twin technologies used do not necessarily prevent vote-buying, intimidation, disenfranchisement, and other dirty tricks. Ballots cast cannot be traced by political operators. PPCRV chair Henrietta De Villa said: “In the final analysis, the integrity of the elections depends on the board of election inspectors, the voters, and the politicians, but they can’t easily change the results on the election returns. I would say that the space for cheating has narrowed.”Accreditation
The COMELEC, in its July 29, 2008 promulgated Resolution, SPP-08-006, 08.06.2008, accredited the Citizens Coalition For ARMM Electoral Reforms, Inc. (Citizens CARE) as Citizens' Arm of the Commission on Elections in the provinces of MaguindanaoMaguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
, Shariff Kabunsuan
Shariff Kabunsuan
Shariff Kabunsuan was a province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao that existed from 2006 to 2008. The law establishing the province was nullified by the Philippine Supreme Court in 2008.-History:...
, Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur
Lanao del Sur is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Marawi City and borders Lanao del Norte to the north, Bukidnon to the east, and Maguindanao and Cotabato to the south. To the southwest lies Illana Bay, an arm of the Moro Gulf...
, Basilan
Basilan
The Province of Basilan is an island province of the Philippines within the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Basilan is the largest and northernmost of the major islands of the Sulu Archipelago and is located just off the southern coast of Zamboanga Peninsula...
, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi
Tawi-Tawi is an island province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . The capital of Tawi-Tawi is Bongao. The province is the southernmost of the country sharing sea borders with the Malaysian State of Sabah and the Indonesian East Kalimantan province. To the...
, in the ARMM and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan
Lamitan
Lamitan is a 5th Class city in the province of Basilan, Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2008 census, it has a population of 82,074....
, pursuant to Sec. 2(5), Art. IX (c) of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines
Constitution of the Philippines
The Constitution of the Philippines is the supreme law of the Philippines.The Constitution currently in effect was enacted in 1987, during the administration of President Corazon Aquino, and is popularly known as the "1987 Constitution"...
and Sec. 52(k) of the Omnibus Election Code. Also, volunteers from the Legal Network for Truthful Elections (LENTE), one of Comelec’s accredited citizens’ arms, were deployed in Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Lanao del Sur and Maguindanao.
Foreign observers
Meanwhile, foreign observers led by Somsri Hananuntasuk, executive director of the Asian Network for Free Elections (ANFREL), and composed of the 22-man foreign delegation from Malaysia, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Cambodia and Thailand, arrived for their election observation mission.Fears, tensions
The historical first, however, had been overshadowed by fears of violence due to the failed GRP-Moro Islamic Liberation FrontMoro Islamic Liberation Front
The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is an Islamist group located in the southern Philippines. It is one of two Islamic militant groups, the other being the Abu Sayyaf, that are fighting against Government of the Philippines...
(MILF) Peace Panel Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain” of the “Bangsamoro Juridical Entity” or territory deal amid the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Supreme Court of the Philippines
The Supreme Court of the Philippines is the Philippines' highest judicial court, as well as the court of last resort. The court consists of 14 Associate Justices and 1 Chief Justice...
' temporary brake (TRO). On August 4, the High Tribunal issued a Temporary Restraining Order directing representatives of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front “to cease and desist from formally signing the MOA. In the consolidated petitions of officials from the province of North Cotabato represented by Governor Jesus Sacadalan and Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol (GR No. 183591), as well as that of city officials of Zamboanga represented by Mayor Celso L. Lobregat, Rep. Ma. Isabelle G. Climaco, and Rep. Erico Basilio A. Fabian (GR No. 183752), the Court ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to submit to the Court and to the petitioners copies of the final draft of the MOA not later than August 8, 2008, and scheduled an Oral Argument on August 15, 9 a.m.
Under the failed deal, ARMM would include 700 barangays in North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte
Lanao del Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Northern Mindanao region. Its capital is Tubod. The province borders Lanao del Sur to the southeast, Zamboanga del Sur to the west, Illana Bay to the southwest, Iligan Bay to the north, Iligan City to the northeast, and is separated...
and Zamboanga
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
, causing vehement objections from officials and residents. Zamboanga City
Zamboanga City
The City of Zamboanga : is a highly urbanized, independent and a chartered city located in Mindanao, Philippines....
Mayor Celso Lobregat, however, pointed that the expanded MILF homeland deal will cover 1,459 villages, and not just 700 barangays in the agreement’s (Annex A) that would establish the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE). He said Annex B areas were described as “special intervention areas": 40 villages in Zambonga City, as well as several villages in the provinces of Sarangani, Zambonga Sibugay, Zambonga del Sur, Zambonga del Norte, North Cotabato, South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, and Lanao del Norte.
Accordingly, tensions amid fears erupted just days before the election, when hundreds of MILF rebels sequestered villages in North Cotabato's 3 towns, burning homes, seizing farm animals and forcing evacuation of 1,500 families. The government gave the rebels ultimatum to clear the villages, and the rebels backed off, in due course.
GRP-MILF MOA
Fr. Joaquin G. BernasJoaquin G. Bernas
Fr. Joaquin G. Bernas, S.J., J.S.D. is a Jesuit and is Dean Emeritus of Ateneo Law School in Makati City, Philippines. He was a member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission which drafted the present Philippine Constitution....
opined that: "The main objective of the MOA is to amend the Organic Act which established the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The amendment envisions expansion of the geographical area of the ARMM and of its autonomous character. These objectives cannot be achieved by a mere memorandum of agreement. It will involve amending the Organic Act for the ARMM and the Constitution. The current Organic Act for ARMM is not any ordinary law. It is the product of a 3-step process prescribed by the Constitution: the formation of a regional consultative commission whose task was to enlighten the legislators who were to draft the law; drafting of the Organic Act itself by Congress; and the plebiscite conducted among the areas concerned. The original 1989 Organic Act was replaced by the Organic Act of 2001 which incorporated the salient features of the 1996 Peace Agreement entered into between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). A 2002 decision of the Supreme Court would later make it clear that provisions of the Organic Act can be amended only through the legislative-cum-plebiscite process.The controversial MOA, product of innumerable GRP-MILF dialogues, did not go through a broad consultation. The lack of consultation is now being defended by government as a matter of “executive privilege.” The Organic Act is similar in nature to a Constitution. It is an embodiment of the will of the sovereign people of Mindanao. In the end, those who are pushing for the achievement of the goals of the MOA will have no choice but to feed it into the legislative process. Indeed, when the document begins to be subjected to scrutiny, there will be a lot to debate about."
The candidates
Exactly 1,516,775 registered voters were officially declared eligible to vote in 1,903 polling centers of the August 11 balloting for a regional governor, vice governor and 24 members of the ARMM Regional Legislative AssemblyARMM Regional Legislative Assembly
The Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao has a unicameral Regional Legislative Assembly headed by a Speaker. It is composed of three members for every congressional district...
. Incumbent Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan, 41, (Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
Lakas-CMD , popularly known as Lakas, was a political party in the Philippines and the predecessor of Lakas Kampi CMD. Its ideology and that of its successor is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy, and by Populism...
party) is seeking reelection, the first governor to do so since ARMM creation in 1990. Ampatuan is challenged by Guimid Panalangin Matalam (Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino) and Jupakar Pindah-Asia Arabani, Ismain Berto Ibrahim, Alvarez Silal Isnaji, Ahmad Darping Nooh and Ali Jumadil Omar—all running as independents. Isnaji is detained in connection the Ces Drilon
Ces Drilon
Ces Orena-Drilon or more commonly known as Ces Oreña-Drilon is an award winning Filipino broadcast journalist. She graduated from the University of the Philippines Diliman with a degree of Bachelor of Arts major in Communication Research...
case. 5 candidates joined the vice gubernatorial race while 78 aspire to become regional lawmakers.
For Governor
Summary of the final official COMELEC canvass of the 11 August 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general election election results|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Candidate
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
|-
|align=left| Zaldy Puti U. Ampatuan
Zaldy Ampatuan
Zaldy Uy Ampatuan , is a Filipino politician and was governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao from August 8, 2005 until his expulsion on November 25, 2009. He is former chairman of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats for ARMM...
|align=left| Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats
Lakas-CMD , popularly known as Lakas, was a political party in the Philippines and the predecessor of Lakas Kampi CMD. Its ideology and that of its successor is heavily influenced by Christian and Islamic democracy, and by Populism...
||align="right"|1,017,179
|-
|align=left| Alvarez S. Isnaji
|align=left| Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
||align="right"|22,446
|-
|align=left| Ali J. Omar
|align=left| Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
||align="right"|16,902
|-
|align=left| Guimid P. Matalam
|align=left| Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino ||align="right"|15,283
|-
|align=left| Juprakar P. Arabani
|align=left| Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
||align="right"|11,648
|-
|align=left| Ismail B. Ibrahim
|align=left| Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
||align="right"|7,223
|-
|align=left| Ahmad D. Nooh
|align=left| Independent
Independent (politician)
In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do...
||align="right"|2,280
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|Total
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|1,092,961
|}
For Vice-Governor
Summary of the final official COMELEC canvass of the 11 August 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao general election election results|-
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Candidate
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=left valign=top|Party
!style="background-color:#E9E9E9" align=right|Votes
|-
|align=left|
|align=left| ||align="right"|
|-
|align=left style="background-color:#E9E9E9" colspan=2|Total
|width="75" align="right" style="background-color:#E9E9E9"|
|}
Members for the Regional Legislative Assembly
| ARMM Regional Legislative Assembly elections, 2008 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Seats | % | ||
| 16 | 66.7% | ||||
| 4 | 16.7% | ||||
| 3 | 12.5% | ||||
| 1 | 4.2% | ||||
| Totals | 24 | 100.0% | |||
Aftermath
The Comelec accredited Asian Network for Free Elections (Anfrel), through executive director, Thai Somsri Hananuntasuk, reported that in spite of automation, old problems of cheating and vote-buying still persisted. Minors were allowed to vote, poll officials influenced the voters or voted for them, and there were several instances of vote-buying. 22 of its foreign observers from 7countries in Southeast AsiaSoutheast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
—visited 443 precincts in the ARMM. The machines only prevented cheating in the counting and the canvassing, as it stopped "dagdag-bawas" or the vote padding and shaving of votes, but the machines failed to prevent the way voters are individually influenced—or even forced—to vote for particular candidates.The secrecy of the ballot was also violated since board of election inspectors often assisted voters, indicating their support for particular candidates, and vote-buying was rampant.