25-10-2023 (MANILA) Tragedy struck on Monday as four individuals, including three candidates in the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE) scheduled for October 30, lost their lives in shootings in Davao de Oro and Cotabato.
One of the victims, Alvin Garcia, aged 31, was an incumbent barangay councilman seeking election as a village chief. The fatal incident took place in Barangay Camantangan, Montevista town, where Garcia and a female companion were riding a motorcycle. At approximately 9:40 a.m., unidentified assailants on another motorbike opened fire on them. According to Montevista police chief Maj. Gerald Borja, Garcia was shot in the head. The woman sustained injuries and informed the police that Garcia had been the target.
Investigators are currently exploring the possibility that a grudge was the motive behind the killing, suggesting that Garcia may have been involved in an extramarital affair. He was in direct competition with his aunt in the elections.
In a separate incident in Cotabato, candidates Nur Butucan and Alfar Ayunan, both vying for the position of barangay council member in Barangays Kalanganan 2 and Rosary Heights 2, along with Faisal Abas, were putting up campaign posters when they fell victim to a shooting. All three tragically lost their lives upon arrival at the Cotabato Regional Medical Center, while their companions, Saipul Sapalon and Fajeed Daud, sustained injuries.
This incident prompted the city government to suspend classes in four public schools. Col. Querubin Manalang Jr., Cotabato City police chief, indicated that Butucan and Ayunan might have been the intended targets of the attack. In response, 12 suspects, including Juhalidin Abdul, a candidate for barangay chairman of Barangay Rosary Heights, and police M/Sgt. Pauti Mamalapat, were arrested in subsequent operations. A variety of weapons, including hand-held two-way radios, a caliber .45 pistol, a 9mm handgun, and an M16 rifle, were confiscated from the suspects.
As the BSKE date nears, Leyte, Villaba, and San Isidro towns in Leyte, as well as Calbayog City in Samar, have seen joint police and military deployments to enhance security. The Commission on Elections (Comelec) had recently classified these areas as immediate areas of concern due to election-related incidents. Since August, three barangay captains have been killed in gun attacks in Villaba. The escalating violence led to the suspension of classes in public schools in Cotabato. The police and military presence is intended to safeguard the electoral process.
In Kalinga, 11 policemen have been designated as the Board of Election Inspectors in Barangay Mabongtot in Lubuagan due to heightened political rivalries in the area. Captain Dindo Salming, Lubuagan police chief, reported that these officers have undergone training in election procedures, including manual voting. Additionally, extra police personnel have been dispatched to ensure the safety of teachers and the overall security of the upcoming elections.
