BACOLOD City – A total of 150 soldiers were deployed to secure the violence-hit town of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental over the weekend.
Brigadier General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Brigade, said the deployment was necessary to ensure the municipality’s peace and order situation in view of the May 13 midterm elections.
Arevalo led the ceremonial sendoff of the troops in front of the town’s public market on Saturday morning.
The troops – who were from the 62nd Infantry Battalion – arrived in three armored vehicles, two 6×6 military trucks and 10 light trucks.
Their deployment came after reelectionist Councilor Jose Antonio “Michael” Garcia and former Association of Barangay Captains president Jose Marcelino “Mark” Garcia were ambushed by around 20 armed men in Sitio Dresden, Barangay Inolingan, Moises Padilla around 11 a.m. on April 25.
Jose Antonio and Jose Marcelino, who were from campaigning that day, were killed after the assailants riddled with bullets the vehicle they were riding.
Jose Antonio was a nephew of Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo. Jose Marcelino, on the other hand, is Garcia-Yulo’s brother.
Garcia-Yulo is running against her uncle, reelectionist Mayor Magdaleno “Magsie” Peña.
Jose Antonio was the second town official killed in Moises Padilla during this campaign period.
The first one was Councilor Jolomar Hilario, who was also seeking reelection. He was gunned down by suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on March 31 at his residence in Barangay Inolingan.
On Friday, the Provincial Joint Security Control Center – composed of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Negros Occidental office, Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office and the Philippine Army’s 303rd Brigade – recommended Moises Padilla be placed under Comelec control.
The poll body has placed the town under “Category Red,” which means that it is an “area of grave concern” this election period.
Moises Padilla has a history of election-related violence and intense political rivalry. There is also a serious threat from the NPA and other armed groups in the town, the Comelec said.
Meanwhile, unopposed vice gubernatorial candidate Jeffrey Ferrer said President Rodrigo Duterte should weigh in over the recent “barbaric and demonic” happenings in Moises Padilla.
Ferrer believes that the ambushes were politically motivated. (With Cyrus Garde, Mae Singuay, PNA/PN)
