Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Pulupandan bets to sign peace pact Wednesday By Erwin Ambo S. Delilan and Nicolas C. Delfin
TO PREVENT any untoward incident in Pulupandan town, the "hottest" locality in Negros Occidental this election period, police will spearhead the signing of a peace convenant by the local bets Wednesday.
Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Noppo) Director Rosendo Franco, said the peace pact in Pulupandan will enjoin local candidates to uphold a
peaceful conduct of elections, including daily campaign.
"With the existing land conflict between mayoral candidate lawyer Magdaleno ‘Magsy’ Peña and 93 families in Barangays Zone V and Zone VI, it is but natural that we need to prepare the earliest possible against any bloody scenario," Franco said.
Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Valladolid-San Enrique-Pulupandan Judge Manuel Limsiaco has ordered 93 families, including vice mayoralty candidate Julia Seminio, to vacate from the properties owned by Peña and his family.
But Seminio and 92 other families are resisting, as they plan to appeal Limsiaco's order to the higher court.
The court also ordered 93 families to pay Peña a total of P3.6 million in back rentals.
Franco, however, said the peace convenant contains conditions for the local bets to follow in achieving a peaceful election on May 14.
Among the stipulated conditions, candidates should conduct their campaigns within the bounds of rules and law, and in the spirit of good grace and friendly
rivalry.
The covenant will also endeavor a high level campaign in articulating platforms and issues, and to avoid character assassinations.
Peña, a controversial figure in the province, is facing cousins Samson and Crisanto Mondia.
"I have already instructed Pulupandan Police Office Chief Ariel Pico to coordinate with three mayoralty bets regarding the peace covenant signing tomorrow (Wednesday) and I will be the one to lead in the signing to ensure that each and every candidate will follow the pact," Franco said, adding, "Pulupandan is the only locality in the Negros Occidental that gives us headache this election."
However, Franco said similar action was also done in the localities of Isabela, Binalbagan, La Castellana, E.B. Magalona, Hinigaran, Candoni and Pontevedra, San Carlos City and Bago City.
These areas are perceived to have intense political battles, if not for mayoralty candidates, it might be between the vice mayoralty bets, or among the councilorables.
"But the signing of peace covenants in these areas have already been done with my chiefs of police assisting the bets," Franco said.
The Noppo director, on the other hand, said before the signing of peace pacts in various towns and cities, they also informed officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the province of their peace initiative.
Private Armies
Meanwhile, Franco denied reports that there is certain politician in Negros Occidental that maintains a group of private armies (goons) in preparation for the May 14 elections.
He said based on their on going monitoring, Noppo Intelligence and Investigation Division has not received any information yet of a certain politician keeping goons.
But in a report from Police Regional Office in Western Visayas released to the
media last week, Police Regional Director Wilfredo Dulay Sr. said they are now monitoring two reported groups of private armies, one in Capiz and another one in Negros Occidental.
"No, it's not true. Maybe this was a miscommunication of the information relayed to PRO6 but I assure Negrenses that there's none yet in the province," Franco said.
