Election violence in some areas worries Comelec exec

Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner on Thursday said that violence during election period is worrisome citing an ambush of a candidate in Negros Occidental recently.

“Yung election violence po ngayon ay worrisome. I am worried about it, because before this has never happened in Negros Occidental   but it’s happening now,” Comelec commissioner Rowena Guanzon said in her interview on GMA News’ Balitanghali.

In April, Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo, who is running for mayor in the municipality of Moises Padilla, with her brother Mark Garcia and nephew Councilor Michael Garcia were ambushed. 

The vice mayor survived the ambush, but her brother and councilor nephew were killed.

Due to this, the Comelec has put Moises Padilla under its control due to intense political rivalry and violence.

Other areas under Comelec control were Daraga City in Albay and Cotabato City.

Aside from violence, the Comelec is also addressing the practice of vote buying. Guanzon said they already started an investigation into an alleged vote buying incident during a campaign rally in Cavite.

“Ang in-eembistagahan po dyan ngayon ay ang Cavite. Tungkol po doon sa pagbibigay ng pera sa rally ng isang kandidato na may mga sample ballots,” Guanzon said.

She said they already established a task force against vote buying. She also encouraged the public to report such illegal practice to the Comelec.

Guanzon said a name of a candidate for congress in La Union was encoded wrong in voters' information sheets, but she advised the voters in the area to ignore the mistake.

“I received a later today. Nagkabaliktad yung pangalan noong kandidato sa congressman doon sa isang distrito…Huwag nang pansinin yung (mali sa) voter information sheet,” she said. —Joviland Rita/NB, GMA News