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Friday, May 07, 2004
Bacolod councilors ask for campaign security
"UNFAIR," cried reelectionist Vice Mayor Ramiro Garcia on the Bacolod City Police Office's manner of securing local candidates during political rallies.
Garcia said that every time his political party, Team Bacolod, conducts a political campaign, there are no motorcops and police personnel around to protect them.
"They (police) should not make a promise if they cannot handle it," said Garcia.
He also said that they have acquired permits from the BCPO for the use of motorcops to secure them during their campaign, but the requests have been ignored.
Under Team Bacolod are reelectionist Cong. Monico Puentevella, Garcia, and candidates for councilors incumbent Jude Thaddeus Sayson and Bobbie Lucasan, village heads Dindo Ramos and Nono Verba and neophytes Homer Bais, Aljo Arceo and Lando Villamor.
Under Valdez' ticket, are vice mayoralty bet Renecito Novero Jr. and congressional candidate John Orola with candidates for councilor Ana Marie Palermo, Greg Gasataya, Elmer Sy, Reynold Elidan, Brigid Tan, Jeston Coscolluela, El Cid Familiaran, Al Victor Espino, Elizabeth Catalbas, Catalino Alisbo and Raymundo Sapa.
Comelec control
Meanwhile, the harassment of three barangay officials and a tricycle driver has urged the Municipal Council of Pulupandan to pass a resolution urging Comelec to place the municipality under Comelec control.
The three individuals were reportedly harassed because they do not support re-electionist Mayor Antonio Suatengco.
Dionisio Calo-oy, village head of Culo, which is two kilometers away from the town proper, complained that his backyard was plowed Thursday morning without his knowledge.
Lea Ytienza, village of Pag-ayon, on the other hand, said she suffered the same fate last Wednesday.
Ytienza said her backyard was plowed by a tractor owned by lawyer Magdaleno Peña--who is the brother-in-law of Suatengco--because they refused to support his candidacy.
Other victims were Ramon Adelmo and Nestor Pancho, a barangay kagawad and a tricycle driver, respectively, who complained that their backyards were damaged without their knowledge.
Suatengco, however, tagged the complaints as politically-motivated, although he confirmed that some of the lands in his municipality were plowed.
But he said the owners wanted their lands to be planted with sugarcane.
Suatengco likewise denied reports that some of the houses in the municipality were demolished.
"That is not my property; I just do not know why they linked the report to me," he said.
Meanwhile, Pulupandan Vice Mayor Luis Mondia Jr. said the Municipal Council resolution was unanimously carried following the motion of Councilor Edda Ponce.
Mondia, who is running for mayor against Suatengco, said the municipal council wanted to ensure that an honest, orderly and peaceful election would be conducted on Monday.
Suatengco though supported the move that the municipality be placed under Comelec control after he signed the resolution, which was immediately endorsed to Cordero.
Cordero, on the other hand, said they will disarm the police in the municipality if they could no longer handle the peace and order situation once they will approve the resolution.
The provincial election supervisor added she will also deploy military personnel in the area if that will happen.
Areas of concern
While in Minoyan, Murcia, Gen. Jeffrey Sodusta, commander of the 303rd I.B., disclosed that about 15 cities and towns in the province were included in the list of the election areas of concern.
Armed men were usually sighted in these areas, Sodusta said.
"The Army troopers are already there to maintain peace and order and to clear the area to preempt any untoward incident," Sodusta added.
One hundred twenty Army troopers were already deployed in Negros.
Earlier, Supt. Mark Edison Belarma, acting police provincial director, deployed 117 police personnel composed of 85 recruits and the others are regular forces who already undergone several scout trainings.
Record showed that in Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, there were seven election areas of concern.
These are the towns of Moises Padilla, Calatrava, Candoni, and the cities of Himamaylan, Cadiz, Talisay and Silay.
Chief Supt. George Aliño, police regional director, disclosed that in Western Visayas there are 48 election areas of concern, 21 of which are in Iloilo province. Christine Mae A. Pelayo/Avelyn Z. Agudon/Claudine C. Dumalag
(May 7, 2004 issue)
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