Wednesday, May 23, 2007 Wenceslao: They should be glad they were “citizens’ arrested” By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thought
I WENT to the Capitol the night I heard two members of the board canvassing the Bogo votes were "citizens’ arrested." That was a Saturday. Since it was already 9 p.m., emotions had eased. A crowd of people, mostly in red, still faced the civil disturbance unit in front of the Capitol. But the others had found some spots on the ground to sleep.
After feeling the people's temper on the ground, I decided to go inside through the Capitol's right side door. Guards had just allowed a group of people in and I slipped through the door with them. I looked up and staring back at me was one of the controversial surveillance cameras. At the second floor, the governor's office still had people inside.
An iron railing blocked the lobby near the old session hall, where some people were sitting. I asked permission to pass through and the guard smiled, recognizing me. As I went to the social hall, I passed by two people, one of whom whispered to the other: "Pila kahay bayad anang kada ER, no?" ER was, of course, the disputed election returns.
Armed men, some with the letters "SRU" on their uniforms, guarded the social hall's door. If anybody in the small crowd talked there, they did that in whispers. I flashed my press ID and went inside, only to be accosted by a policewoman who probably didn't like the way I looked. She frisked me and found nothing but my resolve to be let in.
Finally, the stars of the night. Around the table near the back door of the social hall was Commission on Elections (Comelec) Regional Director Rene Buac, Provincial Elections Supervisor Lionel Castillano (who did not conceal what looked like a deadly weapon) and the "citizen’s arrested": Gallardo Escobar and Mohammad Abdulrashid.
Walking around were the legal minds of fourth district congressional candidate Benhur Salimbangon, including the young Jojie Decal, who "citizens’ arrested" Escobar and Abdulrashid, and Cristina Garcia, who obviously is filled with the DNA of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia. Reporters were around, too, observant and waiting for action.
That "citizens’ arrest" was, I think, unprecedented. But members of the board of canvassers (who replaced those that did the initial counting in Bogo and then, for one reason or another, fled) had it coming. I followed reports of the count days before and thought that only honest and creative canvassers could prevent violence from erupting.
Members of the board of canvassers were either ill-motivated or just plain smug. Even as tempers were flaring up because of their refusal to check the authenticity of some election returns, they proceeded with the counting. Worse, they mishandled the “empty ballot boxes” issue caught by those now famous Capitol surveillance cameras.
Escobar and his group should be thankful therefore that the citizens’ arrest was effected before violence could erupt at the Capitol. When complaints are not adequately given due course and emotions are bottled up, a small spark could spark a blast. Had that happened, a different scene would have welcomed me at the Capitol that Saturday night.
TEXTREAX. I would acknowledge the receipt of text messages from Rodel Wenceslao Garciano of Poro, Cebu and another texter who claimed to be a Wenceslao. A “Luz Reyes” also e-mailed me and said that her father is a Wenceslao. They were all reacting to my column, “A Wenceslao atop Mt. Everest.” Thanks for the good words.
