SunStar: Iloilo mayor wants poll rival out

A retired police general running for mayor in Estancia town in Iloilo has been slapped a disqualification complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) over his "residency." SunStar Iloilo reported Tuesday afternoon that re-electionist Estancia Mayor Rene Cordero lodged the complaint against retired Chief Superintendent Restituto Mosqueda. It said Cordero's lawyer Cornelio Panes argued that Mosqueda failed to establish residency in a specific barangay (village) in Estancia town, allegedly failing to meet legal requirements for candidates. He insisted that Mosqueda be disqualified as a mayoral candidate "for lack of some qualifications or possessing some grounds for disqualification." Panes said that while Mosqueda claims he is a resident and registered voter of "Calumpang village," which the former claimed does not exist in Estancia. Mosqueda, a former police general, is the ruling administration's bet while Cordero is running under the Liberal Party. Cordero, in his 10-page petition, claimed Mosqueda is a "stranger" to Estancia and has long been a purported resident of Quezon City. Thus, he said Mosqueda "lacks the required one-year period of residency mandatory on all candidates." Estancia is now in the Comelec's list of areas of immediate concern because of stiff competition and tension between Cordero and Mosqueda. Both candidates claimed that there are groups of armed men in the area that create fear in their community. Two months ago, tensions rose when Cordero and Mosqueda met in front of the Estancia church, prompting a shooting between their supporters and bodyguards. After the incident, the police regional office sent additional personnel to maintain peace and order. Estancia is a 4th class municipality along the Iloilo coast facing the Visayan Sea. According to most recent government figures, the town has a population of 35,842 people in 7,046 households. - GMANews.TV