Monkayo town placed under Comelec control

Following a spate of killings and violent incidents there, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has placed Monkayo town in Compostela Valley under its control. Sun-Star Davao (www.sunstar.com.ph) reported Friday that the Comelec approved en banc a resolution to place the town under Comelec control after branding the violence there poll-related. The latest incident took place in Montevista town in Compostela Valley, where Ernie Tatoy, a campaign coordinator of gubernatorial candidate Arthur Uy, was shot dead and his daughter wounded Wednesday. Poll violence also escalated in South Cotabato after a vocal supporter of Rep. Darlene Antonino was shot dead following a campaign rally in Tupi town Wednesday night. Police identified the victim as Hilario Sidon, an official of Antonino’s party, the Nationalist People’s Coalition-Achievement with Integrity Movement. Antonino is seeking reelection against boxing champ Manny Pacquiao in the province’s first congressional district. Last April 30, village council member Nardito Ongcal was killed in an ambush in in Montevista. Ongcal was a political coordinator of reelectionist Rep. Manuel "Way Kurat" Zamora. Last April 21, barangay captain Jose Munez of Rizal in Monkayo was wounded in an ambush last April 21. The barangay chief was on his way from Poblacion to Rizal when waylaid. Last April 19, Joven Lonoy was also shot and killed in an ambush. Lonoy was the driver and close-in aide of Joselito Brillantes, who is running for Congress under Liberal Party, representing Comval’s fist congressional district. Last April 16, a political supporter of Zamora identified as Bienvenido Esguera, 25, was also ambushed and wounded by two unidentified armed men in Monkayo. Last April, the Philippine National Police created a special body to prevent further violence and investigate the series of shooting incidents in the town. Task Group Monkayo includes members from the Monkayo police, Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO), the Army’s 28th Infantry Battalion, the Regional Intelligence Group, the Regional Mobile Group-Southern Mindanao and the 1102nd Provincial Mobile Group. - GMANews.TV