LESS than a week for the campaign period, mayoral aspirant Dennis Pangan called on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to put Sta. Ana town in Pampanga under Comelec control.
Pangan, the Nationalist People’s Coalition’s standard bearer in Sta. Ana, formally filed a petition to put the town under Comelec control to Comelec Chairman Saidamin Pangarugan on April 28 at the commission’s central office in Intramuros, Manila.
Pangan cited the alleged threats and intimidation received by his camp, as well as the history of violence and vote-buying in the past elections as basis for his appeal.
He said several relatives of supporters of re-electionist Mayor Norberto “Ross” Gamboa have been sending threats to him during the one of the incumbent mayor’s caucus and via social media.
“Hiniling po namin ito dahil sa pagbabanta mismo ng aming mayor sa kanyang isang caucus sa aming bayan kung saan sinabi niya mismo na kapag ako ay dumaan o natapat sa bahay niya ay papatayin niya ako,” he said.
He added: “Hindi na sana namin papansinin ito pero nung mga sumunod na araw ay ang kanyang mismong pamangkin ay nagsabi mismo sa aming Facebook livestream na ‘Ika ng mate, murit mu’ (Ikaw na mamatay, sira ulo mo). At nitong Miyerkules lang ay nagsabi naman ang anak mismo ng aming mayor sa livestream din na ‘Kumuha kayo ng bato, batuhin ninyo ‘yan.’”
SunStar Pampanga has secured copies of the screenshots of the said comments of Gamboa’s nephew and daughter.
Aside from this, Pangan alleged that supporters of Gamboa had barricaded the road leading to the barangays of San Pablo, San Roque, San Agustin and Sto. Rosario, which were supposedly Pangan’s bailiwicks.
He said a truckload of sand and a “kubol” was put up on the one lane of the road and is manned 24 hours a day allegedly by Gamboa’s supporters.
“Tinignan namin bakit niya ginagawa ito at napag-alaman namin na ganito rin ang naging istilo niya noong 2016 to 2019. Binarikadahan din ang mga daan at hindi pinagboto ang supporters ng kabilang grupo,” Pangan said.
With this, Pangan asked the Comelec to immediately hear his call before this election can cause casualty in the municipality.
He said he is also set to file another petition to the Philippine National Police (PNP) Wednesday, May 4, to put their municipality under area of concern.
“Kung hindi man kami mapagbigyan sa Comelec, humihiling nalang kami sa PNP na sana magdagdag ng kapulisan sa aming bayan para sa karagdagan seguridad namin at ng kabuuan ng aming bayan na rin,” Pangan said.
Meanwhile, Pangan asked Gamboa to stop the intimidation and let the people of Sta. Ana decide for their next leader.
“Sabi nga, ‘vox populi, vox dei’ kaya hayaan sana natin ang mga tao ang bumoto. Huwag takutin at huwag pigilan,” he said.
Not true
In a phone interview with SunStar Pampanga, Gamboa categorically denied the claims of intimidation of Pangan against him.
Despite this, the incumbent mayor said he will comply with whatever the decision of the Comelec will be in the coming days.
“Wala pong nangyayaring ganyan dito sa aming bayan pero okay lang po sa aking kung pakinggan po siya ng Comelec,” he said.
Gamboa also denied Pangan’s allegation that he ordered the closure of a barangay road in town.
“Wala pong saradong barangay road dito sa Sta. Ana. Minsan may mga naglalamay na nagtatayo ng tent sa daan pero pansamantala lang ito at hindi sarado ang daan,” he said.
He asked Pangan to stop spreading lies and stories that taint the image of their municipality.
He also called on voters of Sta. Ana to carefully study the character and contributions of all the candidates before they cast their votes on May 9.
“Simula po nung sumabak ako sa pulitika, katahimikan at pagbabago ang panawagan ko. Nasa demokrasyang bansa po tayo kaya pwede po ninyong piliin ang gusto ninyong kandidato. Hindi ko po kayo tinatakot at mas lalong hindi ko po bibilhin ang boto niyo dahil wala po akong pambili,” he said.