May 08, 2013
Two people died, including the husband of a Central Philippines
mayoralty candidate last as violence stepped up days before Filipinos
take to the polls for the mid-term elections.
A report reaching Manila said Jun Apura and his companion identified
only as Espaldon were ambushed by heavily armed men in the village of
Anabo in Lemery, Iloilo, mortally wounding the two who later died at a
local hospital.
Jun Apura is the husband of Mayor Ligaya Apura who is seeking reelection.
According to state-run Philippine News Agency, police who conducted
pursuit operations arrested a certain Mario Cobarubias. The suspect was
caught in possession of an assault rifle and two hand grenades.
The incident involving Apura is the latest as election related violence
across the country intensified seven days before the May 13 mid-term
elections where Filipinos will vote their next set of senators and local
leaders from congressmen, governors, mayors, councillors and others.
Election hostilities have been occurring with eerie intensity. In
Manila, a bottle throwing incident in Sampaloc district marred a
political rally held by the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)
last Sunday.
The UNA’s candidate for vice mayor of Manila, re-electionist Francisco
Damagoso (Isko Moreno) was delivering his campaign speech when rocks and
bottles thrown from the back of the stage fell in the area where
politicians were supposed to speak. The incident panicked people,
causing a stampede that injured three people.
Damagoso’s running mate is former president Joseph Estrada who was also present during the event.
Incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim, who is running for re-election under the
administration Liberal Party, said he has nothing to do with the
incident.
Earlier, on Saturday in southern Metro Manila, supporters of Taguig
Mayor Lani Cayetano engaged followers of Rica Tinga, her challenger in
the polls, in a scuffle.
Twelve people, including candidate for councillor Ervic Vijandre, sustained injuries as a result of the melee.
Philippine elections are traditionally violent with assassination of
candidates and killing of supporters as standard fixtures, however, the
recent developments show actual hostilities taking place in the open and
witnessed by the people.
The Philippine National Police said to cut down on violence, it will
deploy most of its personnel, including those engaged in administrative
task, to election duties.
“The Philippine National Police will deploy 50 per cent or 21,885 PNP
personnel performing administrative jobs and undergoing training to
augment troops in the field as part of its maximium deployment of
uniformed personnel’s duties for the synchronised National and Local
Elections on May 13, 2013,” said PNP Director General Allan Purisima.
Purisima said that personnel of the elite police commando unit, Special Action Force will also be deployed for the elections.
Poll violence, electoral fraud and other nefarious activities by
politicians are occurring despite efforts by the state to computerise
elections.
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