Cops, Marines disperse pro-Asistio mob at Caloocan city hall

A bloody confrontation was averted by quick-responding policemen and Marines after some 200 diehard supporters of former Caloocan City Mayor Macario "Boy" Asistio Jr., charged into a group of supporters of mayor-elect Enrico "Recom" Echiverri Sunday night in front of the city hall.

While second-running mayoral candidate former Caloocan Rep. Edgar "Egay" Erice has long conceded defeat to frontrunning and mayor-elect Enrico "Recom" Echiverri, former mayor Macario "Boy" Asistio, now running in third place after staying for some four days in the bottom rung, now held by Malonzo’s wife Gwendolyn after the canvassing of votes began last Monday, is still holding on.

The Asistio mob, fired up by the impassioned speeches of the former mayor’s leaders, surged forward from the city hall plaza, now flanked by commercial establishments, towards the city hall main entrance. This even as a bouncy and danceable campaign jingle blared over and over again at the public address system: "Iboto si Boy Asistio para mayor ng Caloocan City!"

Soon, someone from the crowd shouted "Lusob! Lusob!" at around 8:30 in the evening. Some canvass tabulators, apparently on their way to take their already delayed dinner, have just come down when the incident occurred. "Ipoproklama pala ha! (referring to Echiverri and other winning candidates) Lusob!", a witness, who declined to be named, heard a female instigator. Soon, fists were flying sending an alert member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) on watch to fire a warning shot. The gunfire sent the unruly crowd scampering in different directions and in a minute, the plaza was emptied. Some men were held by policemen for questioning at the nearby city hall police detachment, but were later released.

"Sino ang hepe ninyo? Tinayo ko kayo (SWAT) para sa kidnapping at hostage-taking, hindi para saktan ang mg tao ng Caloocan. Hindi ako aalis dito. Tingnan ko kung mapapaalis nyo kami dito," Asistio said.

"Natalo na ako ng limang beses (as mayor against Malonzo in 1995, 1997 recall, 1998, 2001 and to Echiverri in the May 10 elections) hindi ako kumikibo, ngayon nandito ako dahil sinasaktan ninyo ang mga tao ko," Asistio, in his familiar swagger, told the milling crowd.

He also asked officials to stop the canvassing of votes as he had filed a petition with the court stopping the proclamation of any winning candidate for unknown reasons.

"Nagmamadali kayo. Walang tigil. Sobra na kayo," Asistio said, referring to the ongoing counting by the city board of canvassers. He left shortly before 2 a.m. after learning the Board of Canvassers had adjourned the canvassing and called it a night. — With Pete Laude