Samar mayor killed in town tagged as 'hotspot'

The mayor of the island town of Daram in Western Samar was shot dead before dawn on Thursday, a radio dzBB report said. SPO3 Samuel Rosales of the Samar provincial police office identified the victim as Mayor Benito Astorga. Astorga, he said, succumbed to several gunshot wounds before he could be brought to a hospital for treatment. "Ang Daram considered hotspot area (Daram is considered a hotspot area)," Rosales told dzBB radio, but added he could not recall any recent violent incident related to politics. Sr. Supt. Asdali Abah, provincial police director, said he has ordered a "thorough investigation" of what happened. He said he has sent a team to the St. Paul's Hospital there. "Ako naman papunta doon ngayon para ma-supervise ang investigation (I am on my way there to supervise the investigation)," Abah told dzMM radio. In 1997, Astorga was accused of arbitrary detention over an altercation with Environment Department operatives conducting an intelligence operation on illegal logging in the province. But the Supreme Court in 2004 acquitted him of the arbitrary detention charges after finding "reasonable doubt." Cebu hotspots As this developed, an election official in Cebu said that at least two cities and two towns in Cebu province loom as possible areas of concern or hotspots for the May 14 elections, Sun-Star Cebu (sunstar.com.ph) reported. Provincial Election Supervisor Edwin Cadungog said “fierce political rivalry" threatens the peace in Lapu-Lapu and Toledo Cities and Madridejos and Daanbantayan towns. But Cadungog said it is up to the military and the police to recommend the four areas as election hotspots to the Commission on Elections (Comelec), which has the final say on the matter. Lapu-Lapu City is a first-class city with a population of 217,019 people in 44,439 households. Toledo City is a second-class city with a population of 141,174 people in 26,771 households. Daanbantayan is a third-class town with a population of 69,336 people in 13,472 households. Madridejos is a fourth-class town with a population of 29,020 people in 5,275 households. On Tuesday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) identified at least 49 hotspots nationwide, with provinces in Bicol topping the list. “It is possible that a city or town declared as an area of concern last elections will not be declared as such for this election," said Cadungog. Sr. Supt. Ronald Roderos, Central Visayas Police Regional Office (PRO) deputy director for administration, said that they still do not have a list of areas of concern. Roderos said they have to wait for regional director Chief Supt. Silverio Alarcio Jr who attended the command conference with Comelec in Manila Wednesday. Acting Cebu City police chief Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said policemen will have to secure clearances from Comelec so they can bring their firearms even if they are off duty. Comendador also said they already received an order from Comelec for them to conduct checkpoints at least once a day. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno reminded city and municipal councils and provincial boards that from Feb. 13 to May 14, they can no longer conduct administrative investigations nor impose preventive suspension orders on local elective officials. However, such restrictions do not cover cases under investigation by the Office of the Ombudsman. - GMANews.TV