Negros town recommended to be placed under Comelec control

The town of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental has been recommended to be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), following recent killings involving town officials.

Provincial election supervisor Milagros Salud Villanueva said the recommendation has been forwarded to the Comelec en banc, after a conference of officials of the Provincial Joint Security Control Center, composed of the Comelec, Philippine Army, and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday.

The same recommendation, which was earlier mentioned by Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. ,was also forwarded to the Comelec en banc.

“Our basis for this was the electionrelated incidents and presence of New People’s Army (NPA) in the town,” Villanueva said.

The recommendation stemmed from the killing of Councilor Jose Antonio Garcia and his uncle, Jose Marcelino Garcia, a brother of Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, in an ambush at Barangay Inolingan after they came from a campaign sortie on April 25. The vice mayor was unharmed in the attack.

If the town will be placed under Comelec control, the poll agency will have full and direct supervision over local and national agencies in the town, as well as with regards the security personnel, Villanueva said.

“We know that there is urgency and necessity in this situation but we have to wait for the decision of the Comelec en banc,” she said.

Despite the recent killings in the town, Villanueva said she assured the people of Negros that there will be a free, safe, credible, and peaceful election in the province on May 13.

“The voters will have confidence to exercise their rights,” she added.

Meanwhile, reelectionist Councilor Agustin “Nene” Grande III, who was arrested after he was tagged behind the ambush slay was ordered released on Friday by the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor.

Grande, who denied the allegations against him, was tagged in the killing after he was identified by the wife of the slain vice mayor’s brother, allegedly talking to one of the gunmen.