Police says election day relatively peaceful

By Ronron
May 14, 2007

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Monday’s election was relatively peaceful despite the continuing occurrences of election-relative violence incidents (ERVI’s) on the voting day itself.

For the first 15 hours yesterday, at least 30 ERVI’s were recorded by the PNP, bringing to 203 the total ERVI’s since the start of the election period on January 14.

PNP Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration Deputy Director General Avelino Razon, Jr. said the first incident on the election day was the shooting of a barangay captain in Abra province.

Sr. Supt. Alexander Pumecha, Abra Provincial Police Chief, said in a phone interview that Eduardo Gonzales, barangay captain of Lalugan in Bucay town, was shot dead by a certain Jojo Sales, a political rival, at around 1 am at said barangay.

“We can say it is an ERVI because the fatality was a supporter of incumbent Bucay Mayor Rex Bernardes, and the suspect is said to be a political leader of the challenger mayoralty candidate Debbie Gonzales,” Pumecha said.

Pumecha said barangay captain Gonzales was responding to reports about the presence of unidentified armed men in the area when he found Sales instead.

The two reportedly engaged in a heated argument, resulting in the shooting incident.

Pumecha said the barangay captain was declared dead on arrival at the hospital due to a gunshot wound to the chest that he got from an M16 rifle.

Sales was subsequently apprehended in a follow up operation, said Pumecha.

Earlier on Sunday evening at 6pm, members of election inspectors escorted by police personnel were ambushed by suspected members of a private armed group (PAG) in Lagayan town, same province.

The incident happened at Sitio Tamurong, Barangay Pulot wherein the victims were riding a public utility vehicle, with plate number AYG 340, when fired upon by undetermined number of armed men.

The victims were identified as Margie Labanen (election inspector) of Colago Elementary School; Candida Sulian (election inspector) of Baybayatin Elementary School; PO3 Lauro Robino; PO1 Edgar Bolante; and, Ronabel Alinday, a volunteer for the National Movement of Free Elections (NAMFREL).

The five were supposed to distribute ballot boxes to the different polling precincts when ambushed.

All sustained gunshot wounds in the different parts of their bodies and were evacuated to Abra Provincial Hospital in Bangued town for medical treatment.

Supt. Joseph Adnol, spokesman of the Cordillera Region PNP, said the armed men were pursued by elements of the 160th Provincial Police Mobile Group, the Special Action Force and the 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

Abra is among the five provinces placed under Comelec control as recommended by the PNP. The others are Kalinga, Masbate, Nueva Ecija, and Isabela.

In Masbate, an ERVI also happened at 6am yesterday that resulted in the deaths of two political supporters in Pio V. Corpus town.

Supt. Eliciar Bron, spokesman of the Region 5 PNP, said the victims were riding a motorcycle when fired upon by suspected members of a private armed group while in front of the house of barangay captain Jose Serafin in Barangay Mabuhay.

The victims were identified as Bernabe Serafin, Jr., alias Boy Kano, 33, and Michael Sanchez, 28, both residents of Barangay Mabuhay.

Bron said the two died due to multiple gunshot wounds, Bron said.

Recovered from the crime scene were 29 pieces of empty shell casings for an M16 rifle.

The two are said to be supporters of mayoralty candidate Eleuterio Castillo, Sr.

Meanwhile, in Basilan province, which is among the 32 provinces tagged by the PNP to have serious armed threats, a shooting incident happened at around 8:30 am, killing one and wounding two others.

Chief Supt. Joel Goltiao, chief of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Police, said the casualties were supporters of either of the feuding parties of incumbent Akbar town Mayor Ali Sali and a former Mayor identified only as Hajaron.

Goltiao said the shooting incident happened at around 8:30 am in Barangay Tuburan, Akbar.

“During election, they always have this culture of rido and political rivalries. That’s why we don’t want them to cross their paths,” Goltiao said in a phone interview.

Another shooting incident at 11am in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur also resulted in the death of one and the wounding of two others, Goltiao said. The feuding parties are reportedly followers of rival mayoralty candidates.

About 30 minutes later, another shooting incident happened in Barangay Pasil, Indanan, Sulu involving supporters of feuding mayoralty candidates there. Goltiao said one died in said incident.



Despite the shooting incidents, Goltiao said the conduct of elections in the entire region went smoothly.

Incidents of explosion were also reported in various parts of Mindanao yesterday although only one was reportedly wounded.

An incident of harassment likewise occurred in Surigao del Norte province involving the wife and child of Congressional candidate and former Interior Undersecretary Wencelito Andanar.

Police said Annie Andanar and their child, Anna Carmela, were aboard a space wagon bound for the remote town of Malimuno, same province, when fired upon by undetermined number of armed men at around 11:25 am at Barangay Balete, San Francisco town.

Mrs. Andanar survived the attack but suffered a sprain on her right foot as a result of jumping off the vehicle. She was also very shocked, said her husband.

The former undersecretary said he suspects that politics is behind the attack because earlier, he was rumored to have died or had withdrawn his candidacy.

As of 8pm yesterday, Razon said four persons were killed and seven were wounded. This does not include though the one killed victim each in Sulu and Lanao del Sur, and the two wounded victims in Lanao del Sur, as reported by Goltiao later in the day.

Razon said this is lower compared to the 32 incidents during the May 10, 2004 election that left nine people killed and 22 wounded, and the 47 ERVI’s during the election day in 2001 that left 14 killed and 31 wounded.

Razon maintained that this year’s ERVI’s is also lower compared to the 249 in 2004 and the 269 in 2001.

The same thing is true with the casualties, wherein 118 were killed and 144 were wounded since the start of this year’s election period on January 14, as compared to the 189 killed and 279 wounded in 2004, and the 111 killed and 253 wounded in 2001.

But Calderon said the PNP is not letting down their guards yet.

“Our experience tells us that the counting and canvassing of votes is the most critical stage in the election process that sometimes lead to confrontation between contending parties,” Calderon said.

“I therefore appeal to all candidates and their supporters to remain calm and respectful of the rule of law and not to resort to any unwarranted actions, even as I equally warn them that the PNP will pursue a relentless investigation of those who want to challenge our resolve,” he added.

Razon credited the “encouraging outcome of today’s exercise” to the “combined efforts of the government, community and civil society to make this election the true reflection of the people’s will.”/DMS