A group of armed men allegedly kicked and pointed guns at a group of individuals in Barangay Tapon, Dumanjug, Cebu on Sunday, October 29, 2023. | Screenshot from video courtesy of Tapon Unya
CEBU CITY, Philippines – There will be an augmentation of law enforcers in the towns of Argao and Dumanjug after reports of candidates and voters being harassed and intimidated days before the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election took place.
The Commission on Elections in Cebu province (Comelec-Cebu) has recommended the deployment of quick response teams (QRTs) of the police from nearby localities to Argao and Dumanjug.
The police, in turn, will be tasked to monitor the situation there.
Investigations are now ongoing to determine the identities of the individuals accused of harassing several supporters and voters in Argao and Dumanjug towns over the weekend.
In Argao of southeastern Cebu, Mayor Allan Sesaldo confirmed that they received reports of a group allegedly intimidating and throwing stones at people in Brgy. Bulasa last Saturday, October 28.
The next day, Sunday, men carrying firearms, including high-powered ones, were spotted roaming and harassing people in Brgy. Tapon in Dumanjug in southwestern Cebu.
A netizen recorded the armed men pointing their guns at several people, which has gone viral on social media.
Local police have already started investigations into these incidents to determine not only the identities of the harassers but also to confirm reports that they were sent by some candidates.
Based on data from Comelec-Cebu province, both Barangays Tapon and Bulasa have the largest number of registered voters in Dumanjug and Argao respectively.
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