The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) announced today that the synchronized mock polls held this morning in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao was a “resounding success.”

In a press conference this afternoon at the poll body’s main office in Manila, COMELEC Chairman Jose A.R. Melo reported that the mock polls proceeded smoothly in the ARMM provinces. He said the exercise in Maguindanao had to be called off in deference to the scheduled visit of President Gloria Arroyo to the areas affected by heavy floods in the province.

The COMELEC chief related that the mock polls opened without incident in the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi and Shariff Kabunsuan. The voting closed at around noon, and the mock election results were transmitted immediately to the municipal and provincial consolidation centers. In the province of Lanao del Sur, Commissioner Moslemen Macarambon personally supervised the mock polls.

“The mock polls held today in various ARMM provinces was a resounding success. We are optimistic that the scheduled automated elections next month would proceed as smoothly, seeing that the practice run today had practically ironed out all kinks in the system,” Melo said.

The mock election results showed that Hollywood actor Pierce Brosnan emerged as the winner for the ARMM Governor with 115 votes or 26.99% of the total votes in the region. Brosnan bested mock candidates Leonardo DiCaprio, Kevin Costner, Mel Gibson, Sharon Stone, Harrison Ford, Al Pacino and Catherine Zeta-Jones. On the other hand, Celine Dion won as Regional Vice Governor with 105 votes or 25.18% of all the votes cast.

Meanwhile, Senator Richard Gordon, chairman of the Senate’s Panel on Constitutional Amendments and Electoral Reforms and Rep. Teodoro Locsin, chairman of the House Committee on Suffrage and Electoral Reform; visited the COMELEC this afternoon to witness the final consolidation of mock election results in the ARMM.

“The results came in very fast,” Gordon told the COMELEC Chairman and Commissioners.

“Let pray for this (the success of the ARMM elections). Because not only do we have persons of integrity here in the COMELEC, we now have a modernized system of elections that will make sure our votes are counted. Wala nang panahon ngayon para mandaya” the Senator said.

For his part, Rep. Locsin said: “It’s good to see that the system works.” ###