TACLOBAN CITY, (PNA) — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) claimed village polls in Eastern Visayas was generally peaceful even amid violence and vote-buying incidents.
A husband of an incumbent village chief was killed in a shooting incident in Barangay Anibongon, Jaro, Leyte 7:30 a.m. Monday, report reaching the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO 8) here revealed.
PRO 8 identified the victim as Paul Volcan, husband of incumbent Anibongon village chief Rosalina Volcan. He was heading to the polling precinct in a motorcycle when a certain Claudio Momo shot him and his motorcycle driver Romeo Aňover.
Momo’s wife, Editha is running against the victim’s wife.
The suspect sustained four gunshots of 45 caliber pistol. He was rushed to a hospital in Palo, Leyte but succumbed before noontime.
On Saturday, Santiago Limpiado, an incumbent village chief of Bantayan in San Roque, Northern Samar was shot by Gil Siervo, another candidate for chairman.
Limpiado, who is seeking for second term as village chief was shot 6:20 p.m. on Sunday and died at Catarman District Hospital after four hours.
Meanwhile, two candidates for barangay council were killed last week in two separate incidents in Catbalogan City in Samar and Lapaz in Leyte.
In Barangay Tanauan, San Policarpo, Eastern Samar, Antonio Ravas, a candidate for village chief, stabbed last week his rival, incumbent chairman Rudy Picardal. The victim survived the incident.
Police authorities said that incidents are highly suspected as election-related considering that victims are candidate. They stressed, however, that these are just isolated cases and did not disrupt the conduct of polls.
In Barangay San Antonio of Catubig, Northern Samar, voting started noontime today after unidentified suspects snatched a ballot box intended for the village around 11:30 p.m. Sunday.
Elections regional director Jose Nick A. Mendros, said voting was delayed in that village since elections officials had to bring an improvised ballot box by boat on the river.
Initial investigation by the Catubig Police Station disclosed that the board of election tellers were resting inside the classroom when the bonnet-wearing men with firearms broke the door, took the ballot box at gunpoint and fled.
“Despite incidents like this, all barangays have conducted election and we expect that counting will be done by 7 p.m.,” said Mendros in a phone interview.
He said the conduct of barangay elections was generally peaceful despite reports of pre-election violence and vote buying in different parts of the region.
Since September 28, the police have arrested 56 gun ban violators including a candidate for barangay chairman in Calbayog City.
Candidates for villages chief in different areas of Leyte and Samar Island had been giving out P200 to P1,500 per voter in exchange of votes. Those running in the barangay council spend P20 to P500 per supporter to woe votes.
The amount varies depending on the number of voters and number of candidates in one village.
The Comelec projected that at least 85 percent of the region’s 2.66 million registered voters flock to 17,729 established precincts.