Tuesday, April 24, 2007 Let Comelec control town or blood will flow: Loot
MAYOR Ma. Luisa Loot wants her hometown Daanbantayan placed under Comelec control so the elections will be peaceful, a move that rival mayoral candidate Augusto Corro vowed to block.
Loot cited as reason the “harassment” her supporters received from Corro’s group, an allegation that Corro considers preposterous and ironic considering that it is Loot’s supporters who are “widely known” to have firearms.
“Ug dili gani mi ma Comelec control, magbanaw gyud ug dugo diri kay di man sad ko papildi nila…. Mualsa na gyud ko, akoy mu-control (If the town is not placed under Comelec, blood will flow because I do not want to lose. I will be the one to take control),” Loot said in an interview with radio dyLA. She said she already called the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office for the request.
Loot is finishing her third term and is running for vice mayor while her son, Sun Shimura, is running for mayor.
Clarification
Meanwhile, Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 Director Silverio Alarcio Jr. has asked Senior Supt. Vicente Loot to seek clarification from the Commission on Elections over his presence in Daanbantayan town.
Alarcio made the move after Corro complained against Vicente’s presence in the town. Vicente is the husband of Mayor Loot. Corro recently wrote Alarcio to complain.
Alarcio, however, admitted that it was difficult to say if Vicente is doing something wrong without clear guidelines about what he can and cannot do in Daanbantayan.
“He lives there. He also goes home on weekends,” Alarcio explained.
He added that Vicente himself volunteered to seek an opinion with the Comelec.
The Philippine National Police has maintained that they will remain neutral and non-partisan throughout the election period.
Police officers with relatives running in a certain area have been recommended for relief from their assignments.
Vicente has denied joining pulong-pulong or political meetings and has challenged his wife’s opponents to prove their claims.
He is assigned to the PRO 7 under the Regional Anti-Illegal Gambling Special Operations Task Force. He also asked for his relief from the Cebu Provincial Police Office after his wife announced she and her son were running for office.
This is not the first call for Comelec control in the northern Cebu area.
Earlier, congressional candidate Benhur Salimbangon also said he is calling for the poll body to control the whole fourth district, which includes Daanbantayan.
Armed supporters
Elective seats in other areas in the fourth district are as hotly contested, such as in the island municipalities of Madridejos and Sta. Fe where candidates have also aired calls for their territories to be controlled by Comelec.
Loot, citing harassment from Corro’s group, said she does not even have to hire people if she decides to have the area “under her control.”
“Naay daghang tawo nga lumalaban nato, di kinahanglan nga akoy muhatag ug armas kay dili nato ikalimod halos tanang tawo nay armas diri bisag way election. Kadaghag armas nga illegal diri. Di lang ta mag hipocrito ba (I have a lot of supporters and I don’t need to give them guns. Most people here have guns. Let’s not be hypocrites, there are a lot of illegal guns here),” she said.
Corro, in a mobile phone interview, said he does not agree with having Daanbantayan placed under Comelec control. He said his group will be at the losing end because Loot has control over the police.
Threats
He again raised his accusation that Loot’s husband is seen in campaign sorties.
Corro also said administration officials often approach the political gathering of his group and threaten the people who will attend, telling them the gathering is illegal.
He also said Loot’s supporters always turn up the volume of karaoke units near his group’s political rallies.
“What motive does Loot have in proposing that when it’s her men who carry guns? Di ko musugot ana kay mag-unsa nalang mi,” said Corro. He said Loot is a “big liar” by accusing them of harassment when they are the ones being harassed.
“To a certain degree, I don’t trust the Comelec and I don’t especially trust the local police,” said Corro.
As of yesterday afternoon, the Comelec Cebu Provincial Office has yet to receive an official request on the matter from Loot. (JPM/MEA)
