Pacquiao supporters nabbed for destroying rival’s posters

Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines—Ten political supporters of boxing icon and Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao were arrested Tuesday night for allegedly destroying the campaign posters of the Liberal Party-Achievers with Integrity Movement (LP-AIM) here.

Residents of Purok Guadalupe in Barangay Conel Tuesday afternoon discovered torn LP-AIM posters stuffed inside a closed Kia van and a multicab. Conel village chair Butch Santos told reporters that the Kia van with plate number XGV-412 broke down in Guadalupe  around 4 p.m. and the multicab with plate number MDX-535 came to its rescue.

“They were unloading torn posters of LP-AIM from the Kia van to a multicab when local residents noticed them. They were accosted by vigilant villagers and the incident was immediately brought to my attention,” Santos said, adding he sought assistance from policemen who then hauled off the two vehicles and the 10 suspects, including a minor, to the General Santos City Police Headquarters.

Santos said he had received information that the Peoples’ Champ Movement (PCM) of Sarangani Representative Manny Pacquiao and mayoral aspirant Ronnel Rivera had dangled a P6,000 incentive for every sack of torn posters of the other camp.

Pacquiao’s younger brother, Rogelio, is vying for the congressional seat of South Cotabato’s 1st District.

Seized from the Pacquiao followers were 54 sacks of torn election posters of LP-AIM mayoral bet Darlene Antonino-Custodio and LP-AIM congressional candidate Pedro B. Acharon, Jr.

Senior Superintendent Froilan Quidilla, city police chief, said he suspected the vehicles were being used for “Operation Baklas” by the People’s Champ Movement (PCM) of Pacquiao and Rivera.

Quidilla claimed he had received reports that “Operation Baklas” was being carried out throughout the city which was why the suspects had managed to amass 54 sacks of torn LP-AIM campaign posters.

The city police was preparing formal charges against the suspects.

LP-AIM candidates have been complaining that their posters in authorized common poster areas in the city were being destroyed by unidentified persons.

Lawyer Marlon Casquejo, city Comelec officer, warned that anybody caught tearing apart the campaign posters of their opponents would be apprehended and charged.

Destruction of campaign posters is a violation of Article 10, Section 83 of the Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines.

The Inquirer tried to get a reaction from Bren Evangelio, chief of staff of Pacquiao, but he did not answer calls. Evangelio is the owner of a sound system mounted on the seized Kia van carrying the torn posters.

One of of the suspects, Arron Olidan, told the Inquirer he was hired by Kia van driver Bernardo Cabiling.

“I am not aware of the entire operation as I was just hired to help,” Olidan said.