Wanted:
more poll volunteers for Estancia
ILOILO – The Commission on Elections
(Comelec) is appealing for more volunteers to keep watch of
the May elections, especially in the volatile northern town
of Estancia.
Atty. Elizabeth Doronila, provincial elections
officer, issued the call during the 4th Msgr. Jose “Pepe”
Buenaflor Memorial Media Forum over the weekend where she
was invited to brief the participants about the Precinct Count
Optical Scan (PCOS) machine and the preparations of the Comelec
for the upcoming elections.
Doronila made mention of Estancia after former
Mayor Rene Cordero, who is running against incumbent Mayor
Restituto Mosqueda, refused to sign a peace covenant that
was facilitated by the local police recently.
Cordero allegedly questioned the integrity
of the Estancia Police Chief, Insp. Dwight Ponte, whom he
claimed is biased towards Mosqueda.
Meantime, Doronila also advised voters to
refrain from making public whom to vote to avoid threat and
intimidation.
“Shut your mouth if you don’t
want to experience threat and intimidation,” she said.
The Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO)
has deployed more policemen to Estancia, which has been classified
as a Category 1 election area of concern.
Estancia is under Category 1 because of election-related
violence incidents in the last two elections there, and the
possible employment of private armed groups by election candidates.
There is political tension in Estancia. Tuesday
last week, former Mayor Rene Cordero of Estancia, Iloilo did
not show up at the peace covenant signing arranged by the
IPPO.
Cordero is running for mayor again after a
three-year layoff. His running mate, Vice Mayor Butching Aclaro,
was also a no-show.
On the other hand, incumbent reelectionist
Mayor Restituto Mosqueda came early at the Estancia Parish
Church for the signing.
During a chance meeting on February 26, the
security escorts of Mosqueda and Cordero figured in a near
shootout.
Initially, there was in exchange of heated
words. The verbal tussle later led to the two groups’
drawing their firearms.
The timely arrival of the Estancia police
defused the tense situation. (With a report from the Philippine
News Agency/PN)
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