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Wednesday, May 05, 2004
Danao City now under Comelec control
CEBU CITY -- Danao City was placed under control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for Monday's polls, along with 40 other towns and four provinces all over the country.
Rep. Ace Durano (Cebu, 5th district) hailed the decision, saying that placing the northern city under Comelec control is the best precaution against election-related violence.
"Panagana lang ni ato (Better safe than sorry)," he told radio dyAB Tuesday night.
Durano's father Ramon III is seeking reelection as Danao City mayor against an older brother, Jesus. Jesus previously said he will call for a boycott in Danao should Comelec place it under its control.
Local Comelec officials have yet to receive the order, but explained that a history of election-related violence, intense rivalry and reported sightings of armed men were among the factors considered for placing Danao City under their control.
The city is also known nationwide for its gunmaking trade.
Disturbed by reports of armed goons in several towns in the province, Gov. Pablo Garcia will meet today with mayors and officials of the PNP and the military.
Garcia said mayors told him that strangers were seen roaming around some towns at night. Some have been knocking on people's doors to tell them not to vote on May 10.
Joint request?
Garcia, however, mentioned only the towns of Alegria, Badian, Alcantara, Asturias and Sta. Fe, and not Danao City.
"I will call the PNP and the military. As governor, under the Administrative Code and the Local Government Code, I have the power to call national government agencies to suppress disorder and when public interest so requires," said the governor.
Earlier Tuesday, former governor Vicente "Tingting" de la Serna urged three leading gubernatorial candidates to jointly ask Comelec to place the second, third and fourth districts under its control.
The fifth district, where Danao belongs, went unmentioned.
To "clear the air," de la Serna suggested that all three leading candidates for governor ask Comelec in a joint manifesto to put the three districts under its control this election.
He is part of a group of lawyers defending the party-list group Bayan Muna.
In a phone interview, de la Serna, a member of the Free Legal Assistance Group, said reports from all sides about sightings of armed men are already affecting Bayan Muna campaigners who are immediately pinpointed as the "goons."
"Innocent people are being harassed because of the red scare," he noted. He was referring to the "branding" by the military of Bayan Muna and five other groups as supporters of insurgents.
Comelec orders
There have recently been reported sightings of armed men roaming hinterland barangays in Cebu Province's second, third and fourth districts.
The camps of gubernatorial aspirants Gwendolyn Garcia, Celestino "Junie" Martinez Jr. and Vice Gov. John Gregory Osmeņa have alternately blamed one other for employing "goons."
In Manila, Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos said the areas singled out, aside from having election-related incidents, were put under their control upon the recommendation of the commission's regional directors.
The provinces under Comelec control are Basilan, Sulu, Masbate and Occidental Mindoro.
If the province or a municipality is placed under Comelec control, all government personnel, particularly the military and the police, will have to take orders from Comelec officials during the election period.
Now under Comelec control are nine towns in the Cordillera Autonomous Region; six in Pangasinan; three in Ilocos Sur; two in Ilocos Norte; two in Bulacan; one in Nueva Ecija; one in Albay; three in Sorsogon; four in Camarines Sur; Danao City in Cebu Province; two in Zamboanga del Sur; two in Zamboanga del Norte; one in Tawi-Tawi; one in Misamis Occidental; one in Davao; and two in Maguindandao.
In Cebu, the military's Central Command (Centcom) will hold a conference today with Comelec 7 Regional Director Salud Aliganga, the provincial election supervisors in the Visayas and the police regarding security.
Areas of concern
Even if the New People's Army (NPA) continues to demand permit to campaign (PTC) fees and "terrorize" political candidates, they will not be able to disrupt the polls on May 10, a top official assured.
Civil Relations Group Commander Lt. Col. Melquiades Feliciano assured that Centcom's troops would do their part to provide security to candidates campaigning in the countryside, so that the NPA rebels would not intimidate them.
Listed previously as election areas of concern in Cebu, apart from Danao, are Toledo City and the towns of Madridejos, Minglanilla, Naga, Oslob, Samboan, Santander, Sogod and Tabuelan.
Based on the information he gathered, Governor Garcia is convinced that the armed men were deployed by former congressman Celestino Martinez Jr., rival of his daughter, Gwendolyn, for the gubernatorial post.
But Martinez's spokesman Tuesday said Garcia may just be "trying to create a scenario" and using this as a "pretext" to send in more police personnel to the towns.
"Lumang tugtugin na 'yan, gov. He has been with us for several elections and he knows how we operate. He's too old to be a liar," said Medellin Vice Mayor Ricardo Ramirez.
"We had it in 2001 when (Sen. Sonny Osmeņa) had our district declared under Comelec control, but his candidates were still clobbered. If the governor wants, he can place the whole province under Comelec control," added Ramirez. (JPM/MEA/KMF/With AIV)
(May 5, 2004 issue)
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