IN FOCUS

Disenfranchisement. Rev. Larry Emery of the International Observer Mission (IOM) interviews a villager in Guimba, Nueva Ecija.

GUIMBA, Nueva Ecija --The International Observer Mission-Nueva Ecija team said today militarization in villages in Nueva Ecija has resulted in a new type of disenfranchisement of voters that is borne "out of fear and terror."

Rev. Larry Emery, spokesperson of the team said voters they interviewed in Barangays Yuson and Manggang Marikit in Guimba town said they opted not to vote for any party list organization to "keep out of harm's way."

Emery quoted a former torture victim as saying he voted for retired Gen. Jovito Palparan's Bantay party because "that is what the military wanted."

In Barangay Manggang Marikit, Maximo Daileg, a barangay official told the mission more than 100 people were summoned to the village hall by soldiers where they were interrogated and threatened. They were told not to support the Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis and Gabriela parties.

In this year's election the barangay council agreed not to support Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis and Gabriela. Daileg said they voted for the Bantay party against their will.

The former torture victim, who asked not to be identified said he was told to vote for the Bantay party a day before the election.

The barangays experienced severe militarization from 2005 to the present. The human rights violations intensified when Gen. Palparan was transferred to Central Luzon in September 2005.

Emery said that militarization has instilled so much fear among the village folks to the extent that they have kept silent and are even sacrificing their right of choice in the elections.

Tessa Gado, 55, said her son, John, was killed allegedly by soldiers inside their home in Barangay Yuson on July 4, 2006. Gado also told the mission that her son was a Bayan Muna poll watcher in the 2004 elections.

She said the military who were deployed in their village accused her son of being an NPA member. She told the mission that all the men in her village were punched or physically and verbally abused by the military and their fear of the military continues to this day.

"Militarization and human rights violations have spawned a new type of disenfranchisement that is borne out of fear and terror," Emery said.

Barangays Yuson and Manggang Marikit are considered strongholds of progressive party list groups.

The International Observer Mission is composed of foreign observers to the 2007 national elections.