Tuesday, April 17, 2007 Bantayan task force formed for polls By Mia E. Abellana Sun.Star Staff Reporter
AFTER hearing the election concerns of candidates in Bantayan Island, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. ordered the Cebu Provincial Police Office to create a task force for the island.
Candidates from different parties claimed seeing armed men about the island.
Alarcio assured the residents that they will augment the forces in Bantayan Island by assigning a platoon from the Regional Mobile Group (RMG) 7.
The platoon is in addition to the Special Reaction Unit (SRU) that is already stationed in the island.
Acting CPPO Director Carmelo Valmoria explained that the SRU is in Bantayan after persistent reports of armed men roaming the three towns.
Task Force Hope-Bantayan Island will further intensify the conduct of checkpoints to put a stop to the “roaming armed men onboard motorcycles” reportedly going around the area. They will also serve search warrants on armed groups reportedly hiding out in the area.
Bantayan Mayor and reelectionist Geralyn Escario-Cañares and Madridejos Mayor and reelectionist Lety Mancio relayed to top police officials in the region and province about the roaming men in their towns.
“They have not done anything. But their presence causes panic among the people here because they are strangers,” Cañares said.
While Cañares noted that the men have been in the town since last month, Mancio, her political ally under Kampi, said she noticed the presence of armed men in her town since September last year.
“Here in the island, it’s easy to recognize new faces. There are no incidents involving them but we can see that they are armed,” Mancio said.
The towns of Madridejos, Bantayan and Sta. Fe are considered election areas of concern.
Because of this, the PRO 7 and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7 held a peace forum and covenant signing with the candidates of all three towns.
Alarcio believes they got a positive response from all candidates, as majority of them attended the forum.
Most of them welcomed the signing of the peace covenant, though they are not confident that it is enough to make sure the elections are peaceful.
“It’s a very welcome move. On our side, we are really sincere because the past elections here have been peaceful. This is the first time that we experience such incident,” Escario said.
For her part, Escario’s opponent Susan Pacheco said the covenant and forum was “a start” to attaining peaceful and orderly elections.
“It’s the first time I met the other candidates. (Our party) Lakas-CMD has already pledged not to initiate any of the violence and to exercise maximum tolerance. We are also God-fearing. Dili gyud mi mo-una,” Pacheco assured.
Independent mayoral aspirant Salvador dela Fuente hopes the covenant will assure the people that the elections will be peaceful and orderly.
In yesterday’s forum, candidates raised questions on the electoral process.
They got clarifications from Comelec Assistant Regional Director Veronico Petalcorin and Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Castillano.
Election and police officials also asked the candidates to support their allegations with evidence and to report these immediately so that these can be verified.
“Kita, mu-agi man gyud ta og due process. You should file your complaints immediately so that due process if afforded immediately,” Petalcorin said.
Valmoria, for his part, assured that his office was open to all parties.
He also explained that the SRU has been instructed to secure perimeters of all political rallies of all parties, which was why they should not panic when they see the members of the SRU.
Unlike the regular policemen, the SRU are clad in black uniforms, which is why some of them are not familiar with the unit.
Valmoria said he will tell the SRU members to make their nameplates more visible so that the public can easily identify them.
