Violence erupts in Parañaque

The brother of former actress Alma Moreno, wife of Parañaque City Mayor Joey Marquez, and three others were injured when they were stabbed during a melee that broke out outside the canvassing center in Parañaque City before dawn yesterday.

Inspector Edgardo Ariate, Parañaque police criminal investigation division chief, identified one of the victims as Freddie Moreno Laxamana, 48, married, and resident of 361 del Pilar St., Barangay San Antonio Valley 1, while three other wounded remained unidentified.

Police said they are now looking for suspect Dionisio Sanchez, 46, married, said to be a supporter of mayoralty candidate Pablo Olivarez, and resident of Tupas St., Bernabe subdivision, Barangay Sucat, who was tagged as Laxamana’s attacker. Olivarez is Marquez’ closest rival in the Parañaque mayoral race.

Police said the brawl broke out at around 3:25 a.m. among the supporters of Marquez and Olivarez who had camped out of the Parañaque City Sports Complex since election day last Monday.

Continuous jeering were reported between the two camps since they assembled outside the gym with the heckling sometimes eliciting amusement and laughter among the political supporters, mediamen and policemen in the area.

But yesterday, the heckling turned violent.

Probers said Laxamana was igniting firecrackers a few meters away from the gym when supporters of Olivarez reprimanded him.

In the ensuing exchange of heated words, the free-for-all erupted ending with the stabbing of Laxamana. Policemen had to fire their gun in the air to pacify the protagonists.

Police said Sanchez scampered away after the brawl.

In an interview, Marquez denounced the violence, saying it was a sign that the camp of Olivarez was getting desperate in the face of his imminent victory. Marquez is currently leading in the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) count.

"We are saddened with this incident. We should all maintain sobriety and show political maturity as a people. This is a show of poor sportsmanship," Marquez said.

For his part, Olivarez said it was the supporters and "goons" of Marquez who had started the trouble outside the canvassing center.

"In the first place, why did they start lighting those firecrackers. They have been engaging in these mind-conditioning schemes to make it appear that they are winning the elections when we are leading in the quick count," Olivarez said.

Olivarez lamented that banners prematurely proclaiming Marquez as the winner in the elections have been put up by the incumbent mayor’s supporters.