TACLOBAN CITY – The national spokesperson of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) has asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) and other law enforcers to intensify their monitoring to ensure the safety of those running in the 2019 elections.
Mayor Don Abalon of San Roque town in Northern Samar made this appeal as candidates were set to file their certificates of candidacy starting on Thursday.
“Our appeal is for our law enforcers, particularly the PNP, to strengthen their monitoring in the community, in the locality to ensure the safety not only the incumbents but even the would-be candidates,” Abalon said in a phone interview.
“We are hoping and praying that the conduct of elections will be peaceful and no untoward incident will happen,” he added.
On Monday, Ananias Rebato, former mayor of San Jose de Buan in Samar, was ambushed while he was about to board his vehicle after attending an event in Barangay Babaclayon in celebration of its town fiesta on Tuesday.
The 57-year-old former mayor was reportedly planning to run for vice mayor of the town.
Despite the number of killings especially involving mayors, he said he didn’t believe that the chief executives were being targeted because “there were peculiarities in the local (situation).”
He pointed out that the motives included politics and business rivalries.
(So) I don’t think we are being targeted but at the same time, I cannot say that these incidents should be considered as isolated,” Abalon said.
He said the nature of their jobs as elected officials could have “exposed” them to various several dangers including the possibility of being killed.
Under the Duterte administration, 11 mayors and six vice mayors have been killed.
Among them was Mayor Rolando Espinosa of Albuera, Leyte who was gunned down inside his cell at the Leyte sub-provincial jail in Baybay City on Nov. 5, 2016.
Espinosa was linked to illegal drugs activity by Mr. Duterte whose son, Kerwin, is now detained at Camp Crame.