|
Tuesday, May 11, 2004
One killed, another shot in poll violence
By Aquiles Zonio, Bong Sarmiento, Allen V. Estabillo
With Bobby Terencio, Mary Grace Bero
* Man shot while trying to snatch ballot box in Esperanza, Sultan Kudarat
* Elections in General Santos peaceful; cheating, vote buying reported in South Cotabato
A PROMINENT Muslim leader in Banga, South Cotabato was gunned down before noon Monday while reportedly outside a polling precinct in the area, a police report said.
Senior Supt. Romeo Rufino, South Cotabato provincial police director, identified the victim as Ustadz Abdul Bayan Kusingan, a community leader of barangay Lampari in Banga town.
The victim was reportedly standing outside a polling precinct in Barangay Lampari Elementary School at about 11 a.m. when he was shot by unidentified suspects. He was declared dead upon arrival at an undisclosed private hospital.
Police investigators in Banga, led by station chief Supt. Diosdado Bangeles, are still investigating whether the killing was related to the ongoing elections in the area.
The killing is so far the first violent incident record in the ongoing national and local elections in the province. Meantime, a civilian was arrested in Barangay Caloocan here who was found in possession of a .45 caliber pistol loaded with seven live bullets while inside a polling precinct in the area.
The suspect, identified as Alex Rosete, was nabbed by policemen assigned at the Caloocan Elementary School at about 10:30 a.m.
Ballot box snatching
Meanwhile, police shot a man who reportedly snatched a ballot box while voting was ongoing in a public elementary school in Barangay Ducay, Esperanza town, Sultan Kudarat Monday.
Brig. Gen. Agustin Dema-ala, 604th Infantry Brigade commander, said in a telephone interview six suspects tried but failed to snatch several ballot boxes at around 9:30 am.
"A commotion occurred at the polling precinct because these men [allegedly] tried to snatch several ballot boxes. Fortunately, there were vigilant residents and lawmen who foiled their attempt," he said.
Dema-ala said the suspects were fired upon by the responding lawmen after they resisted warnings to stop while fleeing onboard their getaway vehicle, resulting in injury to one of the suspects.
The injured suspect was brought to the Sultan Kudarat Provincial Hospital in Isulan town for treatment, while his companions were detained at the Esperanza police station for interrogation, according to Dema-ala.
He also failed to identify the names of the other suspects who are reportedly residents of Lutayan town, also in Sultan Kudarat.
Chief Supt. Antonio Billones, Central Mindanao Police director, said he already directed Sr. Supt. Pañares Adap, Sultan Kudarat provincial police director, to immediately conduct investigation on the incident.
The police official said it was the first election-related untoward incident in his area of responsibility during the day of election.
Meanwhile, polling precincts opened around 7 a.m. in Central Mindanao to accommodate the voters.
Except for Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat, where the start of voting was disrupted when an unidentified suspect grabbed a official ballot box distributed by the Comelec, the other parts of the region remains peaceful.
In General Santos, as usual, voters complained they could not find their names in the voters' list.
However, they were advised by the Comelec to just bring with them their voter's registration and try to check it with the verified voters list.
Vote buying
In Polomolok town, South Cotabato, there were reports politicians were paying the voters ranging from P100 to P500 just to get elected.
There were camps that reportedly paid voters P500 just to vote straight for their line-up.
In Sarangani Province, the local Comelec officer requested the military to secure two remote villages considered as hotbed of communist insurgents to ensure the orderly and peaceful conduct of election.
Col. Alfredo Cayton, 601st Army Brigade commander, said the villages are Datal Anggas and Barangay Kihan in Alabel town.
The Comelec requested choppers from the military to transport the members of the Board of Election Inspectors and the ballot boxes.
"There were intelligence reports that communist rebels are going to attack the military escorting the Comelec personnel bringing the election paraphernalia in the areas. So the Comelec requested for two helicopters to be used in going to the area," Cayton said.
The voting is expected to be delayed in the villages as around 1:00 p.m. Monday, military and Comelec personnel were still waiting for another chopper from the Southern Command.
Election peaceful
The conduct of election in the city was generally peaceful with no reported election-related violent incident as of 1:00 p.m. Monday, according to Insp. Arturo Aquino, operations branch chief of the General Santos City Police Office (GSCPO).
The police official said there are police personnel deployed in different polling places in the city to monitor untoward incidents.
"Ok lang man dito. Walang problema," a police manning the West Elementary School said. (It is okay here. No problem.)
He also said they did not notice people who violated the liquor ban imposed by the Comelec during elections.
GSCPO director Supt. Willie Dangane has placed the entire police force in the city on red alert starting Friday to thwart any group to disrupt the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections.
The police chief said the red alert would last until the election activity is over.
(May 11, 2004 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
|
