Poll officer, 4 others shot dead

MANILA, Philippines — An election officer of Mabini, Batangas was among five persons killed in gun attacks in Luzon in the past two days.

Noel Meralles, 53, was on his way home to Batangas City and was waiting for his ride in front of a mall in Barangay 4 Poblacion in Bauan when he was shot at around 6:10 p.m. on Monday. He was declared dead on arrival at the Bauan General Hospital.

Employees of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) deplored the killing, saying it “highlights the prevailing culture of violence in the country.”

In a statement, Mac Ramirez, Comelec employees union president, said authorities should ensure that justice will be served to Meralles and his family.

“The killings must stop. The culture of impunity in the country must end. We demand no less than justice,” Ramirez said.

Comelec employees said they would wear black today to signify their “collective cry for justice” for Meralles and other victims of senseless killings in the country.

In Quezon, Ruben Carabino, chairman of Barangay Binay in San Narciso, was visiting his brother in Barangay Busok when around eight suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels shot him several times.

Florencio Cupo Jr., 54, and Catalino Decepeda, 65, were shot by unidentified assailants in a sugarcane plantation in Barangay Bolbok, Tuy, Batangas also on Monday. Their companion Gregorio Decepedia, 53, was wounded and brought to the Don Manuel Lopez Memorial District Hospital for treatment.

In Isabela, Aljeron Padilla, an aide of Quezon town Mayor Jimmy Gamazon Jr., was in Barangay Alunan and waiting for the Independence Day program to start when motorcycle-riding assailants opened fire at around 5 a.m. yesterday. – Ed Amoroso, Raymund Catindig, Emmanuel Tupas, Sheila Crisostomo