Candidate for councilman shot dead, another injured PRO-6 tags 449 barangays as “hot spots”

BACOLOD CITY , Philippines   â€“ A candidate for councilman (kagawad), while campaigning for the barangay election, was gunned down in Brgy. Linaon of  Cauayan town in Negros Occidental Tuesday morning, police said yesterday.

Hours after, a re-electionist councilman in Brgy. Dian-ay of Escalante City was wounded when his house was strafed with bullets by unidentified assailants.

Dead on the spot in Cauayan was Alfred Lucero, 57, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds in his body, according to Sr. Supt. Miko Lizaran, director of the Negros Occidental Provincial Police Office.

On the same day, Councilman Noel Sabordo, who was seeking re-election, was injured when an unidentified gunman strafed his house with an M-16 assault rifle, said Supt. Leo Batiles, Escalante City Police chief.

Nineteen empty shells of M-16 bullets were recovered at the scene by Escalante policemen, and a note was left behind the scene accusing Sabordo of being a corrupt official who should not be voted in the election.

Sabordo was reportedly an ally of incumbent Dian-ay Barangay Chairman Romy Romo, whose opponent is allegedly supported by the administration.

As these violent incidents took place, the Police Regional Office-6 has placed 449 barangays in Western Visayas under the election watch list of areas (EWAS).

Chief  Supt. Agrimero Cruz, Jr., PRO-6 director, said the number might be the final figure considering there are only a couple of days left before the Oct. 28 barangay election.

These “hot spot” barangays were tagged as such because of intense political rivalry; presence or influence of the New People’s Army and history of election-related violence, Cruz said.

PRO-6 also reported that, from Sept. 28, the start of the 45-day election period and the gun ban, until yesterday, 93 persons were already arrested, two of  them were soldiers. The police also seized 56 low-powered firearms, 24 high-powered guns, 33 deadly weapons, three gun replicas, and nine explosives.

Meanwhile in Bacolod City, the Comelec had cited some candidates in four barangays for allegedly violating the rules on campaigning.

City election officer Mavil Majarucon-Sia said she has sent notices of violations to some bets in Barangays Granada, Taculing, Bata and Mansilingan after her personnel took video footage and pictures of  the campaign materials that violated guidelines on postering. “I already sent the evidence to our Legal Department so they can take action (on them),” she said.

Provincial Elections Supervisor Jessie Suarez said the Comelec regional office authorized Comelec-Bacolod to conduct a preliminary investigation on the matter. “We will be very strict on matters of violations of our rules,” he said.

A total of 16,477 aspirants have filed certificates of candidacy in Bacolod City and the rest of Negros Occidental, Suarez said last week. Of this number, 1,567 are running for barangay chair, and 14,880 for kagawads, he said, adding that there are 662 barangays in Negros Occidental, including the 61 in Bacolod.

Suarez further said they have already distributed the ballots for the barangay elections to 13 cities on Monday (Oct. 21) and to 19 towns last Oct. 22. Other election paraphernalia for the polls elections have also arrived from Manila already, he said.

On security preparations, the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), based in Capiz, has augmented its manpower requirements in Negros and Panay Islands for the barangay elections.

Major Ray Tiongson, chief of the 3rd ID’s Public Affairs Office, said 159 newly commissioned Army privates will be deployed to infantry units of  the 3ID in Negros and Panay Islands.

In Bacolod, 448 policemen will be deployed for the barangay elections, according to Sr. Supt. Edgardo Ordaniel, acting director of the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), which is assigning four policemen for each polling precinct. (FREEMAN)