The Better Part of Valor

From ‘No voting in Maguindanao’:
via Manuel L. Quezon III: Costs of political cannibalism

You have accused the present administration of cheating in the last elections. You are almost sure that they will cheat again in the coming elections. To ensure that they cannot cheat again you do "not bother to field local candidates or assign poll watchers in the province’s (Maguindanao's) 27 towns." because

“It was pointless to put watchers in Maguindanao. There’s no such thing as elections there,” Asis said in Manila when asked if the LP had counterchecked the supposed TU sweep.

“The elections there are done by other people, not by the constituents. The elections there are dictated. There’s no point,” added Asis, who supervises the LP’s internal canvassing at its campaign headquarters in Makati City."

It's like they are asking the administration to cheat them with impunity. But of course the opposition's shortcomings does not prevent them from questioning the result of the Maguindanao tally.

But GO campaign spokesperson Adel Tamano scoffed at TU candidate Luis “Chavit” Singson’s reported lead in the early results in Maguindanao.

“It does not only smell of cheating but also stinks to high heavens,” Tamano, a lawyer and a Muslim, said Thursday.

He added: “Even assuming that Maguindanao is an administration bailiwick, why is Chavit -- a Christian and not from Mindanao -- No. 1, and [Sultan Jamalul] Kiram, who logically will be supported by his fellow Muslims and Mindanaoans, not No. 1 or even in second place?

“The 12-0 result in Maguindanao with Chavit as No. 1 speaks volumes about the credibility -- or lack thereof -- of elections in that area.”

But without any candidate or watcher from the area, they can only speculate, they have no proof. They could have had proof, maybe prevented the cheating if they only diverted some resources to the area, they chose not too.