It can be observed that there is an increase in the number of killings and violence in the country recently where politicians, regardless of their positions are killed, attacked or have been made victims of other forms of violence. We may believe that these are most likely, politically motivated. Their perpetrators are either supporters of their opponents or some assassins who are paid to do the dirty and illegal job.
This early, election violence seems to dominate the political scenario prelude to the upcoming October 2023. The objective of some is to eliminate other possible aspirants so they may have better chances of winning. Usually, these are those with the guns and the goons who wanted to make sure that they can get the throne through violent or deadly means.
We need not elaborate where, when and why, but whenever we go near the election season, we often hear of politicians and their supporters meeting the Creator prematurely as they become victims of ruthless killings only because of rivalry in politics. Politics is somehow being made synonymous with violence and or killings.
The Commission of Human Rights has recently raised the alarm over the increasing killing incidents of barangay officials months before the date of election. There are a number of incumbent barangay officials in various parts of the country who were gunned down in which the said government agency believes that all these are politically motivated.
Those who are making the violence, the hired killers or simply supporters are getting bolder and bolder, preying on their targets like chickens. It seems that they do not even consider the sanctity of human life and the lives of the families of their victims who will be left behind. For them maybe, life doesn't have much value that they can take it at the squeeze of a trigger. “Politically motivated” killings and violence undermines social order and the rule of law.
The Commission on Election has recently moved the period for the filing of Certificate of Candidacy (CoC) for the upcoming polls. From July 3 to 7, the filing period was moved to August 28 to September 2. The filing of CoCs coincides with the start of the election period and when the period sets in, it would burden local government units from the various prohibitions brought about by the election such as suspension of elective local officials, transfer of officers and employees in the civil service, appointing or hiring new employees, releasing expenditures with public works and social services among others.
The resetting of the CoC filing period is an advantage to those who wanted to join the electoral race for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan officials this October of this year. They shall somehow be spared from their early declaration of running after they file their CoCs. The early filing of such means early spending for their unofficial campaign activities.
Although barangay elections are supposed to be non-partisans, this early, would-be aspirants for Punong Barangays or Kapitans are forming their “line-ups” or teams of kagawads. Factionalism in barangays is starting to set in.