Fears of bloodshed aired as Marines seek to secure Santiago ballots

SANTIAGO CITY, Isabela — Hundreds of followers of ‘comebacking’ Mayor Jose "Pempe" Miranda (PDP-Laban) warned yesterday of bloodshed if the Marines dispatched here by the Commission on Elections would insist on taking the ballot boxes to Manila for canvassing.

Miranda supporters even had themselves handcuffed to the ballot boxes containing the election returns and surrounded them from all sides to prevent the Marines from taking them.

Earlier, a contingent from the regional police mobile group was deployed in this highly-politicized city as tensions ran high with both supporters of Navarro and Miranda threatening to go after each other’s necks.

The poll body ordered earlier the transfer of venue of the canvassing of votes after lawyers of incumbent City Mayor Amelita Navarro (Lakas-NUCD) raised questions regarding most of the city’s 294 precincts, citing instances of the lack of padlocks on several ballot boxes.

The Navarro camp also asked the poll body to declare a failure of elections here, citing cases of massive vote buying, harassment and disenfranchisement of pro-Navarro voters. They accused the Miranda camps of being behind these electoral manipulations.

The Marine contingent arrived here yesterday evening to bring the ballot boxes to Manila but were prevented by hundreds of Miranda supporters who vowed to fight it out against any groups who would take them on.

The Marines, however, decided to get the ballot boxes out of the city at all costs on Monday whatever the results of the negotiations between both warring camps will be. The Church and the National Movement for Free Elections are brokering the negotiations.

"I am afraid there would be deaths if the Marines insist on taking the ballots on Monday," warned Miranda.

"This is easier said than done," Navarro, also in a fighting stance, countered. "If they want, let their blood flow, and our blood flow." — Charlie Lagasca