Mrs Wood admires Filipino courage

Press, 11 February 1986, Page 11

Mrs Wood admires Filipino courage

NZPA staff correspondent Hong Kong

A disturbing breakdown in vote-counting procedures had left the outcome of the Philippines elections confused, said the National Party president, Mrs Sue Wood, in Manila at the week-end. But Mrs Wood said she had been moved by “the most powerful civil rights commitment I have seen” as an army of ordinary Filipinos linked arms to ensure the safe passage of ballot boxes in the capital during Friday’s election. The Opposition candidate, Mrs Corazon Aquino, has already claimed victory in the Presidential elections on the basis of early returns, which though conflicting show her ahead. But President Ferdinand Marcos — defending a 20-year record in which the Philippines has descended into economic and social chaos — refused to admit defeat on Saturday evening, and threatened to declare the election result null and void.

Mrs Wood, in Manila as part of a group of invited international observers, said no clear figures had yet been made available.

The entire electoral process was based on an agreement between the Government Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the private watchdog group, Namfrel (National Citizens Movement for Free Elections) to get out early and accurate returns.

The observers had been told by both organisations and representatives of the Government and the Opposition that between 40 and 60 per cent of the

vote would be available by midnight on Friday. “But by midnight on Saturday, Namfrel’s headquarters still only had returns from about 25 per cent of the vote,” she said.

“The results have been incredibly slow and the Namfrel-Comelec partnership seems to have broken down.” Mrs Wood said she was in the Philippines as an observer and was not prepared to comment on possible abuses before her group’s official press conference in Manila. “I would like to emphasise that the thing we are concerned about is not the percentage of electoral malpractice but whether it is so great as to affect the democratic process.” What had been bitterly disappointing, she said, was that in spite of the imoressive batterv of computers and the preelection emphasis on partnership between Namfrel and Comelec, the results were slow in coming forth.

Mrs Wood said she emphasised the distinction between the Philippines Government and the country’s people. “The people here have demonstrated very great courage and commitment to democracy.”

She described middleclass and middle-aged women scrutinising and challenging returns in vote-counting stations. “I have never seen anything to match the courage of the Filipino people in this election,” she said. “I believe this largescale, widespread army of citizens has educated the Philippines people in the democratic process.” Diplomatic observers in Manila said the result could remain unclear for up to a fortnight. The Philippines Government, controlled ’by the President’s K.B.L. party, has to certify the winner officially. Mrs Aquino has already said she will lead her supporters in mass demonstrations if Mr Marcos does not transfer power. Earlier report, page 6