Guns, killings emerge in Luzon

TWO MEN take a moment to study barangay campaign posters set up in front of a retail store in Barangay Pinget, Baguio City. RICHARD BALONGLONG/INQUIRER NORTHERN LUZON

Police have been dealing with undocumented firearms, gun attacks and murder cases in Northern and Central Luzon provinces since the start of the barangay (village) election period and an election gun ban that took effect on September 28.

In Isabela province last week, during the first two days of the campaign season, police started investigating the separate killings of a barangay councilor, who is running for village chairman, and a candidate for village councilor in Gamu town and Ilagan City, respectively.

In Pangasinan province, a reelectionist village chief in Calasiao town on Friday survived an attack by three men on a motorcycle. But one of his aides was killed and two others were wounded, including a student who was caught in the crossfire.

Police, however, have not classified these incidents as election-related, pending the progress of their investigations.

Pastoral reflection

In Bataan province, Balanga Bishop Ruperto Santos reminded voters that civic duties should be guided by a Christian conscience and voters must use their “right to vote morally” in his pastoral reflection on the October 28 barangay election.

In a message to candidates and voters, Santos said: “The barangay election may be the lowest in the totem pole of elections for public office. But we should begin with the smallest things. The gospel said that he who could be trusted in small things could be trusted in big things.”

Santos also shared a prayer seeking God’s help so voters would “not be intimidated by show of force,” nor be “carried away by instant promises of jobs and false securities.”

“Let us not be moved by a sense of gratitude or by the ‘padrino’ system. Let us not be bought by money or by promotions or assurances of positions… for a peaceful and responsible barangay election,” he said.

Senior Superintendent Sotero Ramos, Isabela police director, said village council member Rolly Lauria of Barangay Furao in Gamu town was shot and killed on Friday night by a lone gunman while he was attending a wedding feast.

In Ilagan City on Saturday, Willy Lapuebla, a vulcanizing shop owner and aspiring Santa Isabel Sur council member, was shot and killed by a man identified by the police as Carlito Tadeo.

In Calasiao, Pangasinan, three men on a motorcycle fired at the vehicle of the group of Majadiva Mesina, barangay captain of Longos, on Friday in front of the market and town hall.

Mesina and an aide were wounded while an unidentified companion was killed. A Grade 2 pupil of Calasiao Central School was wounded when a bullet grazed her forehead.

Loose guns, poll hot spots

In Pampanga province, records of the Central Luzon police showed that police confiscated 49 unlicensed firearms from August 1 to October 21. Most of the firearms were seized at checkpoints set up in the region’s seven provinces.

In the Cordillera region last week, police announced the surrender of five suspected members of a private armed group operating in Abra province and parts of the Ilocos region.

In Pangasinan, police said 69 villages had been classified as election areas of concern.

Senior Superintendent Marlou Chan, Pangasinan police director, said 59 of the 69 villages had been classified as areas of concern because of intense rivalries between candidates and threats from the New People’s Army.

Nine of the 69 villages were tagged “areas of immediate concern” because of violent incidents that were not related to next week’s election. Only one village in Mabini has so far recorded an election-related violent incident.

Chan said 399 guns were distributed to police in the province as part of preparations for the barangay elections.

He said 186 policemen from the regional office and the public safety battalion had been deployed to the villages. Eighty more Army soldiers would be sent to the province to augment the 27 soldiers sent there earlier.

In Ilocos Norte, two villages in the towns of Marcos and Badoc were classified as areas of immediate concern due to intense political rivalries, police said.

Police also classified an undetermined number of villages in the towns of Burgos, Currimao, Paoay, Pagudpud, Pasuquin and Bangui, and Laoag City as areas of concern.

In Baguio City, police and the Commission on Elections placed three villages under watch because of concerns these were plagued with flying voters.  Reports from Tonette Orejas, Armand Galang and Jun Malig, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Villamor Visaya Jr., Leilanie Adriano, Yolanda Sotelo, Gabriel Cardinoza, Kimberlie Quitasol and Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon