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Friday, April 02, 2004
2 dead, 1 injured in poll-related violence
ZAMBOANGA -- A liason officer of a mayoralty candidate in Zamboanga del Sur was gunned down by armed men suspected to belong to a contending party, according to a belated report reaching the Police Regional Office (PRO) 9 Thursday.
PRO 9 operations officer Sr. Supt. Edwin Soledad identified the slain victim as Rudy Montegrande Lumarago, liaison officer of a mayoralty aspirant in Tabina, Zamboanga del Sur.
The incident happened while the mayoralty bet, identified only in the report as a certain Patayon, and his party members were having dinner in his residence when unidentified gunmen fired at them, hitting the victim fatally and injuring 17-year-old girl, Marty Dabal.
Dabal was rushed to Pagadian Medical Center in Pagadian City.
In another incident, a barangay captain was shot dead by motorcycle-riding gunmen, early this week, at Barangay Lumbay, Margosatubig, Zamboanga del Sur.
Killed was Bonifacio Miniao, 54, married, barangay chairman of Lumbay village.
The victim suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died on the spot, according to a belated police report reaching the city Thursday.
The victim was inspecting the water system in his barangay when his attackers fired their M-16 assault rifle and 9mm pistol, killing him instantaneously.
The police are considering politics as among the possible motives in the murder of the village chief.
Armm candidates
Meanwhile, Comelec Regional Director Helen Aguila Flores on Thursday announced that Comelec-initiated peace covenants have been forged in the provinces of Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga del Norte and Basilan.
Aside from those in the provincial level, peace covenants are also underway in the municipal level under her area of jurisdiction.
These areas include the municipalities belong to the Autonomous Region on Muslim Mindanao (Armm).
The inking of peace covenants is to preclude any outbreak of violence during the election period.
Flores said preemptive measures are being undertaken to avoid becoming hotspots that might lead to the occurrence of election-related violent incidents in this part of the country.
She said that as of the present, only two towns are now placed under Comelec control after violent incidents were reported recently.
She identified them as Sibuco in Zamboanga del Norte and Buug in Sibugay province.
Flores expressed high hopes that less incidents of election related violence would happen in Western Mindanao, because of the peace covenants they are initiating for political leaders running for local elective posts to sign a peace agreement towards a peaceful and honest elections.
Flores, however, said she is eyeing Sirawai, another town in Zamboanga del Norte, and Banganian district in Zamboanga del Sur as suspected "Areas of Concern" because of reported untoward incidents there lately.
The Comelec director is confident her election officers in the municipal level in the different provinces and cities under her area of responsibility can manage the peace and order situation. Becky Gregorio
(April 2, 2004 issue)
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