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Friday, May 25, 2007
Davao del Sur under total gun ban
By Grace L. Plata and Carlo P. Mallo
DAVAO CITY -- The Commission on Elections (Comelec) enforced a total gun ban on the province of Davao del Sur starting May 22, but said it sees no reason to put the area under its control.
In the wake of this development, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, chair of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC), issued a "shoot-to-kill" order against armed personnel, especially bodyguards of politicians in the province who will resist arrest for gun ban violation.
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Comelec Commissioner for Mindanao Romeo Brawner has already issued an order revoking all gun ban exemptions in Davao del Sur due to the killing of Malita mayoralty candidate Isidro Sarmiento and son, Danilo, on May 16.
Representative Claude Bautista, who is seeking the gubernatorial post against Representative Douglas Ra. Cagas, and four of his bodyguards have been charged for the killings. The Sarmientos were known supporters of Cagas.
"Kung matamaan ang politician, pasensya na lang," Duterte said in Thursday's joint regular meeting of RPOC and City Peace and Order Council.
He said politicians have no business employing bodyguards who have criminal records. Whenever their bodyguards kill anyone, these politicians are accountable as accessories to the crime, he added.
"Any politician escorted by anyone on the wanted list will also be arrested," he warned.
Duterte named an Allan Estrada as one of those being hunted by the police for involvement in alleged kidnapping and other criminal activities.
"Reports say that he (Estrada) is presently in Malita," Duterte said.
The mayor said Estrada is being coddled by a politician who hired him (Estrada) as bodyguard.
But the city mayor assured the people that there is no implementation of martial law in the province. He said that such action is necessary to bring back peace and order in the province.
Brawner, for his part, said that due to latest developments in the province of Davao del Sur, he asked for additional forces of the police and the military to be deployed to the province.
Brawner added in a statement that the gun ban would be implemented in coordination with the RPOC.
All gun ban exemptions in the province have also been revoked effective May 22, Brawner said.
Brawner also asked the police, military, and the multi-sectoral RPOC to brief him daily on updates in the province.
Chief Superintendent Andres Caro, regional police chief, on Thursday said they already held a coordinating conference with the Comelec for the deployment of more troops and policemen in Davao del Sur, specifically in Malita and Digos City where canvassing is taking place.
The Comelec has yet to proclaim the winner in the province's gubernatorial race.
"The military is also helping by intensifying checkpoints to ensure that no armed groups except for the police and military will be able to pass," said Caro.
He said the RPOC aims to seal the province and neutralize unauthorized partisan armed groups that have wreaked havoc in the area.
Lawyer Belen Salespara-Carasig, Brawner's chief staff, said the escalation of violence in Davao del Sur was something that they did not foresee.
She added that they were more concerned about the conduct of the elections in the province of Compostela Valley than any other province in the region.
She said there was no reason to place Davao del Sur under Comelec control as the conduct of the polls in the region was already finished.
Carasig also said the purpose of placing an area under Comelec control was to ensure the peaceful and orderly conduct of the polls.
According to her, the move of Commissioner Brawner was just to ensure that the violence in the province would no longer escalate.
The province of Davao del Sur grabbed the limelight after a mayoralty candidate and his son were shot dead in the municipality of Malita on Wednesday last week.
Of the four provinces in the Davao Region, only Compostela Valley was placed under Comelec control during the election period due to the strong presence of the insurgency movement in the area. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro. (May 25, 2007 issue)
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