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Wednesday, May 12, 2004
Man in ballot snatching dies
By Aquiles Zonio
A SUSPECT in the ballot snatching in Barangay Ducay, Esperanza town, Sultan Kudarat died mid-afternoon Monday while being treated at the provincial hospital.
Sr. Supt. Paniares Adap, Sultan Kudarat provincial director, said the suspect's six other companions were also arrested by the Esperanza town police force.
The names of the six other suspects were not yet available as of press time.
They are now under the custody of Esperanza Police Force undergoing tactical interrogation. The police are still investigating the motive behind the incident.
Local authorities could not yet determine whether the seven suspects have connections with any rebel group or political camp in the province.
Chief Supt. Antonio Billones, Central Mindanao Police director, said that except for these two untoward incidents the conduct of election in Central Mindanao was generally peaceful and orderly.
In Sarangani, Col. Alfredo Cayton, 601st Army Brigade commander, said there was no untoward incident reported in his AOR as of press time. The AOR of 601st Army Brigade covers the cities of Digos, General Santos and Koronadal, as well as, the provinces of Davao Del Sur, Sarangani, South Cotabato and part of Sultan Kudarat.
However, Cayton said his men are quite facing a dilemma how to extricate two helicopters used in transporting ballot boxes and members of the board of election inspectors to two remote villages in Alabel town, Sarangani Province.
The Comelec requested Monday for the Army to provide helicopters to transport ballot boxes and members of BEI to Barangays Datal Anggas and Pag-asa, known hotbed of communist insurgents.
"The choppers could not take off due to bad weather condition in the area. But the Army troops sent to the area were enough to secure the ballot boxes including the area," Cayton said.
The military official said he would not take the risk of transporting the ballot boxes and members of BEIs using military vehicles, as there were confirmed reports communist insurgents planned to ambush military personnel escorting the members of the BEIs going to the area.
Earlier this month, the Army's Simba tank was partly damaged when 20 suspected communist rebels planted a landmine along the road leading to Barangay Pag-asa.
No one was hurt from among the military officials and personnel on board the tank.
(May 12, 2004 issue)
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