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Friday, April 30, 2004
Police clash with campaigning NPAs
DAVAO -- Suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) engaged in gunbattle with police officers in Bansalan, Davao Del Sur after allegedly threatening residents not to support Bansalan mayor Peter Melchor Arches in the May 10 elections.
Bansalan police officers, led by Insp. Victorio Gamino, said the exchange of gunfire with three armed men occurred at around 5 p.m. on Tuesday at Km. 48 in Barangay Marber.
The shootout lasted only a few minutes before the armed men retreated towards a rubber plantation in Magsaysay, Davao del Sur. No one was reported hurt in the encounter.
In the hot pursuit operation conducted by police, several live ammunitions and a magazine of 7.62 caliber were recovered near the house of a Cafgu member identified as Hermogenes Montil.
Also recovered were several pairs of slippers, allegedly left by the rebels while on the run.
Police said that the armed men have been threatening residents of the area not to vote for Arches and his partylist or else face retaliatory action.
The armed men were also reported to have peeled off stickers and posters of several candidates in the area.
Comelec control
Meanwhile, four provinces have been placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to escalating election-related violence in these areas.
Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. identified the areas as Masbate, Catanduanes, Mindoro and Abra.
Abalos said the commission has to stop election-related incidents, particularly in Masbate, which has a worsening peace and order problem.
Abalos said placing a certain area under their control is not the same as declaring it as immediate area of concern or hotspot since this would mean managing the entire affairs of the province or area during the election period.
"Akala lamang nila (They thought) it's just election matters that are (being) taken over. No, even the fielding of personnel, fielding of military and police and the disbursement of funds, these are the functions that are taken over by the Comelec," Abalos said.
PNP records show that Zamboanga del Sur has the highest number of election-related incidents--with seven cases and five deaths. Masbate is next with four election-related cases and four deaths.
As of April 27, 65 persons have already died and 127 were injured in 70 election-related cases nationwide, PNP records also showed. RCO/Marie Neri
(April 30, 2004 issue)
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