In a search for weapons conducted by the Military in Maguindanao province a discovery that is both puzzling and at the same time shows the strength of the clan that has for nearly a decade held power in the province.
Voter’s ID’s are among the requirements for a voter to get a ballot and cast a vote in polls. If the ID’s recovered which are normally sent out by mail were to be scrutinized and any of those voters found to have been disenfranchised in past elections it may also be another charge versus the clan members.
Tampering with Philippine Mail is a crime as covered by law – hence – if these were intercepted, openned, and, then kept from the voters in question then another possible case would be seen.
Republic Act 7354, signed into law in 1992 would cover with cooperation from law enforcement agencies the tampering with or opening of mail not by a addressee – a serious offense in law.
Sec. 28. Postal Offenses. — The Regulatory Authority shall exercise the following powers if, in its judgment, postal laws have been, are being, or about to be violated;
(a) to conduct, directly or with the Corporation, and with the assistance of law enforcers, searches of any vehicle, vessel or aircraft for stolen mail matter or any mail matter being transported in violation of law, whenever there is reasonable ground to believe that such prohibited mail matter is contained therein;
(b) to issue search warrants, under the same conditions prescribed for judicial officers, authorizing the search of any place not used as a dwelling for any stolen mail matter;
(c) with the help of law enforcers, and through his duly authorized representatives, to make arrest and seizure for violation of any postal law;
As to the legality of the recovered voters ID’s a quick check with the commission of elections website can reveal where and to whom the ID’s were issued to as well as the validity of those voters ID’s.
A press release from COMELEC says that anyone who wishes to check on the validity of voters ID’s may do so with the commison on elections by simply emailing the following information.
[]… to check on the status of their voter’s identification cards need to email the poll body.
Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that voters should email their full name (first, middle, last ), date of birth and address to voters_id@comelec.gov.ph. …[] COMELEC Press release dated Dec 2008
The discovery of the voters ID’s may not quite be as ‘exciting’ a possible violation to some – but – in Law the offense is equal to or actaully exceeds that of having unlicneced firearms found on premises. Also fingerpirnts and other evidence could be uncovered from those who handled the documents.
If the letters containing the voters ID’s are unopened and the possible excuse could be the items were uncovered from a local post office – it still would not explain several issues.
The list of offenses for disenfranchising or denying someone thier right to sufferage is also in both the omnibus election code and the criminal law code or revised penal code of the Philippines.
It would be interesting to see how the find is treated – as it is whole new set of legal issues that needs to be addressed by the already embattled clan in Maguindanao.
So far the discovery of weapons has been the highest monitored story but the voters ID cards are a important piece of a puzzle that needs to be probed