THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) is studying the proposal to postpone the upcoming 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) in Negros Oriental due to the spate of violence in the province following the killing of Governor Roel Degamo.
During the resumption of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs’ inquiry into Degamo’s assassination, Comelec Chairman George Garcia expressed support for Senator Francis Tolentino's proposal, but said that it needed to be carefully studied due to legal issues, particularly the grounds for postponement.
“Ang problema, kailan po dapat nag-eexist ang grounds na ‘yan? Pwede po bang nag-eexist ang grounds na ‘yan several months before the conduct of elections? Hindi po naging maliwanag ‘yon. Pagka po in-interpret ng ibang lawyers, dapat nangyari election period, malapit sa elections...We will admit that is an open issue, that is still subject to interpretation and the Comelec we also admit can interpret it either way,” Garcia said.
(The problem is, when should those grounds exist? Can those grounds exist several months before the conduct of elections? It wasn't clear. Some lawyers interpret that it should happen during the election period or near the elections... We will admit that it is an open issue, still subject to interpretation, and we also admit that Comelec can interpret it either way.)
Under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code, the Comelec may postpone the elections in an area due to “any serious case, such as violence, terrorism, loss or destruction of election paraphernalia or records, force majeure, and other analogous cases of such nature” which can make the holding of free, orderly and honest elections impossible.
Garcia also raised issues on holdover capacity, but Tolentino said Republic Act No. 11935, which postpones the BSKE from December 5, 2022 to October 30,2023, included a provision allowing the incumbent officials to hold office until new individuals are elected.
The poll agency chairman said they will immediately conduct hearings about the matter with concerned local executives and may come up with a decision by the second or third week of September.
Central Visayas police chief Brigadier General Anthony Aberin and Negros Oriental Army chief Brigadier General Leonardo Peña also expressed support for Tolentino’s proposal.
Aberin said they can concentrate on ensuring peaceful and safe conduct of elections in Negros Oriental if it will be done separately from other provinces.
Peña said there is a need for more troop deployment in the province, especially during the conduct of elections.
For his part, committee chairman Senator Ronald dela Rosa recommended for the Comelec to place the province under Comelec control during the poll season “to see to it that there will no longer be killings.”
Under Comelec Resolution 10757, an area may be placed under Comelec control if it has a history of/or current intense political rivalry which may result in violence; has a presence of private armed groups which may sow violence during the election period; and serious armed threat from the communist group and other local terrorist groups that may disrupt the holding of free, peaceful, honest, orderly and credible elections in any political division, subdivision, unit or area.
Dela Rosa made the recommendation as more resource persons testified before the hearing about the series of violence in the province even years before the killing of Degamo, to which suspended Negros Oriental third district representative Arnolfo Teves Jr. was tagged as the mastermind.
During the previous hearing, several resource persons testified against Teves, especially in his alleged involvement in cases of impunity and killing of their family members.
Teves and his brother former Negros Oriental Governor Pryde Henry were also implicated in illegal gambling where they allegedly get their money from.
During Wednesday’s hearing, May 10, Antoinette Torres, a former guest coordinator of the Degamo family, accused them of committing various illegal activities.
Torres also accused the Degamos of involvement in a shooting incident in their residence in Dumaguete City on April 21, after she testified in the Senate inquiry.
“Alam ko lahat. Marami akong alam na baho nila. Alam ko lahat. Kasi ang mga Teves and Degamo are both warlords, kilalang kilala ko po sila. ‘Yung sinasabi nila na ang Teveses ay maraming unexplained wealth kasi galing sa gambling, ang mga Degamo rin maraming silang unexplained wealth ng dahil sa kaban ng Kapitolyo. Naka USB po lahat. Ibigay ko sayo,” she said referring to Dela Rosa.
(I know everything. I know a lot of their dirt. I know everything because both the Teves and Degamo families are warlords, and I know them very well. What they say about the Teveses having a lot of unexplained wealth from gambling, the Degamos also have a lot of unexplained wealth from the provincial treasury. Everything is on a USB. I'll give it to you.)
Pastor Jerone Nalam, another former employee of the Degamo family, also alleged Siaton, Negros Oriental Mayor Fritz Diaz, the slain governor’s nephew, as a “king of gambling” in Negros, noting that he owns several luxury vehicles such as Ferrari and Lamborghini.
Degamo’s widow, Janice, said they are open to any investigation about the accusation of their “disgruntled” employees. (SunStar Philippines)