Caravan for peace

They called it the Pilgrimage for Peace and its goal is to end violence and ensure peaceful balloting on May 14.

Largely made up of members of the Central Philippine University (CPU) Baptist Ministers Association and the Iloilo Coalition of Non-Government Organizations and People’s organization, the April 23 to May 22 peace trek will cover Panay, Guimaras and Negros.

Rep. Edwin Lariza, the pilgrimage’s chairman, said the caravan simply hopes to remind the people, especially the young, "that we should not be resigned to how elections in our country are done."

However, as the peace pilgrimage is ongoing, three suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels died Saturday in a three-hour gunbattle with Army soldiers in Isabela, Negros Occidental.

Soldiers of the 11th Infantry Battalion were pursuing insurgents collecting campaign fees from candidates when they chanced upon the guerrillas and a firefight ensued, the military said.

Militant group Karapatan claimed though that more were killed in the "massacre."

Lt. Col. Jess Mananquil, 11th IB commander, said the three-hour gunbattle occurred in Barangay Sibucanawan, Isabela, where local candidates had complained to authorities that they were being harassed and threatened by rebels who were demanding campaign fees.

The remains of the three alleged insurgents were turned over to the Isabela police. They were identified as Richard Sarillo, Bobby Kilo and Benjamin Gelonga.

A former Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member, Magno Flores reportedly heads the rebel group. Karapatan claimed that Rosemarie Vergara, 30, and her father Romeo, 45, were also shot by soldiers without any reason on Sunday morning.

Mananquil, on the other hand, said he was not surprised by the fabricated accusations as they had become the standard line of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) whenever they suffer losses.

Meanwhile, a daughter of Moises Padilla Mayor Jose Garcia and her rival were also reportedly required to pay campaign fees by the insurgents.

Garcia’s daughter Ella is running for mayor of the southern Negros town of Moises Padilla.

Rep. Ignacio Arroyo said he is himself a victim of goons in Negros Occidental. He claimed that the NPA have been harassing his leaders and supporters in the fifth district.

"We are the ones who are the victims of terrorism," said Arroyo, whom the NDF tagged as maintaining goons to achieve their ends. The other one is La Libertad Mayor Jocelyn Limkaichong, who is running in the first congressional district of Negros Oriental.

Potential hot spots

There are several potential hot spots in Negros Occidental as well as in Panay. Yesterday, however, Rep. Jules Ledesma IV and Escalante City Mayor Santiago Barcelona swapped charges, both claiming they were being harassed by each other’s goons. They also vowed to file cases against each other.

Barcelona informed me two weeks earlier of the alleged presence of goons in an upland area who were terrorizing residents of Escalante’s interior areas. He asked me though not to mention it in my column as he was still trying to get more evidence against those behind the armed groups.

Anyway, Barcelona is now running for vice mayor of Escalante. His wife, Alicia, is seeking the mayoralty post.

Ledesma, on the other hand, said his group was campaigning in Barangay Binaguiohan of Escalante with mayoralty bet Melecio Yap when they were harassed by four motorcycle-riding men led by Barcelona’s armed group, led by a certain Cris Batan.

Barcelona told Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Marañon on Sunday that the alleged harassment in Binaguiohan was "just the imagination" of Ledesma.

Incidentally, Marañon and the United Negros Alliance are batting for re-electionist Rep. Tranquillino Carmona.

This was confirmed my Senior Superintendent Rosendo Franco, who said that initial police investigation showed there was no threatening action by the Batan group against Ledesma and company.

Ledesma, however, said he has a video footage to prove that Batan’s group harassed his campaign sortie.

Barcelona charged Ledesma of besmirching his reputation by saying on national television that he (Barcelona) has goons.

In fact, he added, it was Ledesma’s group that allegedly has hired killers from Dumangas to kill Barcelona.

The charges and counter-charges flew thick between Barcelona and Ledesma. But, at least in the case of Negros Occidental, no violence has marred the local political scene.

Passi City of Iloilo

In Iloilo province, mayoralty bet Reuel Palmares hit the Passi City police for allowing members of armed civilian volunteer organization to roam freely in public carrying long firearms.

"We have spotted these CVOs bearing long firearms in our campaign sorties in Barangay Nueva Union," Palmares said.

He also said he has filed a complaint with provincial PNP head Melvin Mongcal to act on the issue. He also filed another complaint with the Commission on Elections (Comelec).

The situation worsened when alleged goons of Passi City Mayor Elyzer Chavez figured in a shooting incident in Barangay Dalicanan Tuesday night.

Among the protagonists in that shooting incident were Eby Pabila and Charlie Arconada, of Barangay Managupaya and Tagubong.

The police found Pabila at the Don Valeriano Palmares District Hospital where he underwent treatment for gunshot wounds.

Chavez, on the other hand, also accused Palmares’ supporters – Michael Palmares and Elpidio Pilatan – that they were part of the group that strafed his sympathizers in Barangay Dalicanan.

Tension is likewise high in the island town of Estancia where the contest between the re-electionist mayor and his rival, retired PNP Gen. Mosqueda, has become more heated.

PNP Chief Mongcal had reinforced the political contingent in Estancia town with personnel from the Regional Mobile Police Group.

Bacolod independents gird for final drive

As I had mentioned before, the good thing with Bacolod and Negros politics is that the politicians abide by the law despite rising tempers.

But there were also exciting developments. Several independent candidates appeared to have joined hands in a loose coalition aimed at helping one another joust entrenched political machineries of the major parties. On one hand, you have Lakas led by Rep. Monico Puentevella and the other Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) led by re-electionist Mayor Evelio Leonardia and vice mayor and congressional bet Renecito Novero.

Puentevella is supporting former mayor Luzviminda Valdez.

Novero reportedly used a $1.5-million citizenship claim by legislation for businessman Charles William Mosser against Puentevella. Unfortunately, Mosser came up yesterday with a warning "to please spare us from all these political gimmickry as it is totally unfair to the people concerned."

A brother-in-law of Puentevella, Rudy Arceo, came out yesterday with a bitter disclosure about the alleged shenanigans of Puentevella, who is married to his sister, Patching.

The problem with that is that the same charges were thrown against the lawmaker in the past but did not seem to register with Bacolodnons.

Anyway, the most important development recently was the formation of an informal coalition by several independent candidates that seems to have boosted the chances of the independent bets.

Congressional candidate Andy Hagad sort of leads the informal group, which included independent candidate for mayor Joel Dojillo. Their motorcade last week drew a lot of attention among Bacolod folks and started talks on the issue.

Although he has not formally affiliated with them, Councilor Lyndon Cana seems to have suddenly jumped to the status of the front-running candidate for vice mayor against former councilor Thaddeus Sayson and Councilor Elmer Sy.

But the crucial issue is who will deliver the votes?