Negros town recommended to be placed under Comelec control
Published Apr 27, 2019 03:33 pm
By Glazyl Masculino
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.
Reelectionist Councilor Agustin Grande III (seated 4th from right) of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental and Joe Cezar (extreme right) were brought at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Bacolod City Friday, after they were tagged in the ambush slay in the town on Thursday, April 25, 2019. (GLAZYL MASCULINO / MANILA BULLETIN)
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 election-related 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.
Based on the resolution of the provincial prosecutor, “this office finds insufficient the legal and factual basis of the arresting police officers in effecting a warrantless arrest against him.”
“The allegation of witnesses that Grande was merely seen talking with an identified suspect with direct participation to the crime, inside the latter’s compound moments before the incident in question happened, is just a bare suspicion that cannot justify a warrantless arrest against him,” the resolution said.
P/Col. Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), in a media interview at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City on Friday, said a complaint for murder was filed against Joe Cezar, a member of the town’s Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in the town.
Cezar was linked to the killing after he admitted to the authorities that he allegedly provided shelter to the armed group responsible for the crime, Baleros said. His statement, however, was not attested by his legal counsel.
The prosecutor, based on a resolution, affirms the validity of the warrantless arrest against Cezar but he opted to avail of the conduct of a preliminary investigation.
He was given 10 days to file his counter-affidavit.
Aside from them, five other persons who were identified behind the killing, and 23 John Does will also be facing the same complaint for the said crime, Baleros said.
A security will be provided for the vice mayor, who was running for the mayoralty position against Mayor Magdalena Peña, after the ambush slay.
With the filing of the case, Baleros said the case was considered closed.
A reward of P2 million will be given to anyone who could lead to the capture of the perpetrators.
Reelectionist Councilor Agustin Grande III (seated 4th from right) of Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental and Joe Cezar (extreme right) were brought at the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor in Bacolod City Friday, after they were tagged in the ambush slay in the town on Thursday, April 25, 2019. (GLAZYL MASCULINO / MANILA BULLETIN)
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 election-related 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.
Based on the resolution of the provincial prosecutor, “this office finds insufficient the legal and factual basis of the arresting police officers in effecting a warrantless arrest against him.”
“The allegation of witnesses that Grande was merely seen talking with an identified suspect with direct participation to the crime, inside the latter’s compound moments before the incident in question happened, is just a bare suspicion that cannot justify a warrantless arrest against him,” the resolution said.
P/Col. Romeo Baleros, director of Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (Nocppo), in a media interview at the Hall of Justice in Bacolod City on Friday, said a complaint for murder was filed against Joe Cezar, a member of the town’s Barangay Peacekeeping Action Team (BPAT) in the town.
Cezar was linked to the killing after he admitted to the authorities that he allegedly provided shelter to the armed group responsible for the crime, Baleros said. His statement, however, was not attested by his legal counsel.
The prosecutor, based on a resolution, affirms the validity of the warrantless arrest against Cezar but he opted to avail of the conduct of a preliminary investigation.
He was given 10 days to file his counter-affidavit.
Aside from them, five other persons who were identified behind the killing, and 23 John Does will also be facing the same complaint for the said crime, Baleros said.
A security will be provided for the vice mayor, who was running for the mayoralty position against Mayor Magdalena Peña, after the ambush slay.
With the filing of the case, Baleros said the case was considered closed.
A reward of P2 million will be given to anyone who could lead to the capture of the perpetrators.