Malabon downgraded as poll hotspot

MANILA, Philippines — Despite the murders of several barangay councilors in the city in the runup to the elections, Malabon has been cleared of being an election hotspot days before the vote. 

During yesterday’s command conference, Malabon police chief Col. Jessie Tamayao said this was because of the absence of election-related violent incidents in the city.

He said the killing of Councilor Dante Sih last month was only a “suspected” election-related violent incident.

Malabon was downgraded from a level “yellow,” the third level in a tier of security concerns, to the lowest level “green” where there is no security concern, Tamayao said. 

Sih was shot at a market in Barangay Panghulo while he was boarding his motorcycle last April 10.

A letter from a supposed communist group was left at the crime scene saying Sih was assassinated for extorting money from vendors, an allegation the family denied.

Sih is the fifth barangay councilor to be killed in Malabon since 2016.

Barangay Catmon councilor Rodrigo Tambo, who was reelectionist Mayor Antolin Oreta III’s political officer, was shot dead by armed assailants in November 2018. The gunmen were identified by the police, but the family backed off from filing charges due to fear of reprisal.

Barangay Concepcion councilor Daniel Villaluna and Barangay San Agustin councilor Bienvenido Reyes Jr. were ambushed in March 2016 at a gasoline station in Malabon. They were supporters of then mayoralty candidate Malabon Rep. Josephine Lacson-Noel.

In October 2017, Barangay Tugatog councilor Alexander Quintos was shot dead by a gunman while he was urinating outside his friend’s house, where they were enjoying a drinking session.