Body formed to probe Barangay 23-C melee

A special investigation task group (SITG) called Task Force Mini Forest was formed to step up probe on the election-related shooting incident that injured three individuals in Barangay 23-C, Boulevard, Davao City barely two days before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, a police officer said.

“I composed an investigation team supported by chief of Investigation and Detective Management Branch (IMDB) Police Chief Inspector Oliver Navales para supportahan ang Sta. Ana Police Station para mag conduct ng malalim na investigation tungkol sa incident na nangyari sa 23-C,” Davao City Police Office (DCPO) director Senior Superintendent Alexander Tagum said in an interview yesterday when he made rounds at Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (Dranhs).

Tagum said authorities are still trying to determine who fired a gun during the commotion between the supporters of incumbent barangay chairman Alemudin Usman and challenger Amil Bangsa Manding Saturday evening, May 12, 2018. During initial interview, both parties denied their involvement on the incident.

“[Allegedly] it (gunshot) came from the outside,” Tagum said.

Following the incident, heightened security measure has been put in place in the area and curfew was also implemented to ensure that the incident will not happen again. They also prohibited voters from carrying backpacks inside the polling centers.

“Nakita ninyo mismo meron pang tangke from Task Force Davao to ensure na wala ng violent outbreak coming from the two contending parties and in fact we have also implemented our curfew at 10 p.m. kagabi wala naman pong nag-violate,” Tagum said.

From Category 1, the Barangay 23-C was lift to Category 3 wherein both parametre of Category 1 and 2 are present which includes politically motivated violent incidents are likely to occur due to intense partisan political rivalries and where there are serious armed threats by organized threat groups and other lawless armed groups.

Meanwhile, Tagum said that based on situational reports fed by different police stations as of 10 a.m. yesterday, the election process has been so far peaceful and no commotion has been monitored.

“For now we can still say na peaceful and orderly ang barangay and SK elections 2018 sa Davao City but we are still on the ground. We will remain in our post securing our polling places until the time na maihap gyud ang boto nga gihimo sa mga tao (the ballots are counted),” the DCPO chief added.

One of the problems they encountered was the lack of signal especially in some areas of Paquibato and Marilog District but he said that there were motorcycle police going in and out from those areas and relayed information that everything was peaceful there.

“Properly secured ang tanang polling precincts sa 182 barangays sa Davao City although ang concern lang nato karon na atay mga identified barangays na wala gyud signal ug sa radio ug sa cellphone so mao tong among ginaproblemahan lang nato (All polling precincts in the city's 182 barangays were secured but there were barangays that had no radio or mobile signal),” Tagum said.