Mangudadatuand LP won't resort to cheating to give 12-0 votes

COTABATO CITY – The 12-0 vote trademark of Maguindanao is not in the vocabulary of the current provincial leadership of ruling Liberal Party (LP), Maguidanao Gov. Esmael Toto Mangudadatu today said.
The promise of delivering 12-0 votes for our allies is a things of the past,” Mangudadatu, LP provincial chair, said in an interview.
We do not want to be tempted on massive cheating like previous leaders did in the past to deliver 12-0 votes for party senatorial candidates,” he stressed. But, of course, we will do our very best to bring victory to our allies and let the people vote them because we will sell them on the slogan Daang Matuwid” and as supporters of the peace process,” Mangudadatu, LP provincial chair of Maguindanao.
Mangudadatu said that election strategy by previous leadership forced local officials to venture into massive cheating to glorify administration candidates. It was proven during the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao.
We don’t want that to happen again. It is not the signature of Liberal party. The best thing is to convince people to go out and vote wisely for political parties that can deliver the best leaders they want,” he said.
Asked if fellow party member will compete in the same post, Mangudadatu said party rules clearly declared that only one party bet is allowed to seek local or regional post.
He then aired an appeal to all party members to refrain from using violence or acts which could trigger electoral violence during campaign period and on voting day.
I dream of seeing all candidates in Maguindanao to raise the level of political campaign,” he said.
I would love to see aspirants from opposing parties to shake hands, hug each other and promote peace whenever they meet, by chance, during the campaign sorties,” Mangudadatu said. The bottomline is all of us want to serve our people, so there’s no need to use violence to get an upper hand.”
Mangudadatu said he prayed that young Ampatuan clan members who seek elective post in Maguindanao would take the Daang Matuwid” and never take the wrong doing of his predecessor.
The governor said it was not an issue for him if Sajid Islam Ampatuan, son of former Maguindanao Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr who was the principal suspect in Maguindanao massacre, is seeking the mayoralty post of Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.
I hope that he is one of the good Ampatuans,” said Mangudadatu whose wife, Genalyn, was killed along with 57 others in what was known as the country’s worst election related violence in recent history.
The younger Ampatuan, also a suspect in the Maguindanao carnage, is out on bail. (Ferdinandh Cabrera)