Comelec urged to place Dumanjug on watchlist

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia reiterates a point to local media while his father, former congressman Pablo Garcia looks on. The two men are asking NBI-7 Regional Director Ricardo Diaz to investigate last Friday’s strafing incident in the town. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) asked the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to place Dumanjug town in its watchlist for next year’s elections in the wake of last Friday’s strafing incident.

“Placing the town in the Comelec hotspot or watchlist for the duration of the election period could prevent other election-related violence that threaten to disrupt free, peaceful, honest, orderly, and credible elections,” the PB resolution read.

Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia and Vice Mayor Efren Gica, who will run against each other for the town’s mayoral post, raised their concerns on the incident to the National Bureau of Investigation and the police, respectively.

The mayor asked the NBI to investigate the incident, while Gica asked the Cebu Provincial Police Office for additional security escorts ahead of next year’s campaign period.

Last Friday, unidentified assailants strafed and lobbed a grenade at the black Mitsubishi Pajero owned by Gica’s running mate, Liberal Party (LP) Cebu vice mayoral candidate Rainerio Asentista.

Asentista had just come from a meeting with supporters and saw his parked vehicle riddled with bullets in barangay Masa.

The Dumanjug police yesterday filed charges of illegal possession of firearms and illegal drugs against suspects Samuel Villagonzalo, 31, and Joselito Quirante at the Cebu Provincial Prosecutors’ Office.

Another suspect, 18-year-old Dexter Quirante, was charged with multiple attempted murder.

Comelec Provincial Election Officer Ferdinand Gujilde said placing any area under the watchlist is based on the assessment of both the police and the military.

He said the Comelec will have to wait for the results of the investigation.

The Comelec has yet to hold a joint conference with the PNP.

Gujilde said Bogo City in northern Cebu was among the local government units placed in the Comelec watchlist in 2013, but nothing untoward happened.

At the NBI office, Mayor Garcia said he doubts whether Dumanjug police chief Senior Insp. Arvi Arbuis can conduct an impartial investigation into the incident since he’s reportedly associated with Gica.

“I believe the bureau could not be dictated upon by any political group. They cannot be influenced,” he told reporters.

Nelson was accompanied by his father, former Cebu governor and congressman Pablo Garcia.

“My father has been in politics for 30 years. And I tell you, violence is not our cup of tea,” he said.

The elder Garcia said the police’s warrantless arrest of the three suspects is “illegal.”

“A warrantless arrest can only be done if one has a personal knowledge that a crime was committed or about to be committed. In this case, the suspects were just picked up by the police at home,” he said.

The former governor said he believed Gica’s camp just wanted to portray Dumanjug as an election hotspot.

“It’s too much already. They are the ones doing the lawlessness in the place. In fact, the vice mayor (Gica) has a warrant of arrest for shooting my nephew in 2010,” he said.

He was referring to the case of attempted homicide against Gica who was accused of shooting Lou Oliver Garcia on May 11, 2010.

The case is pending in court. Gica lost to Nelson in the mayoral race in Dumanjug in 2010.

Nelson told the NBI yesterday that he has been receiving death threats recently.

“Their plan B is to assassinate me to make sure that Gica will be the next mayor of Dumanjug,” he said.

NBI 7 Director Ricardo Diaz said they will investigate the incident.

At the Cebu Provincial Police Office, Gica said he will give updates of the investigation to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.

Gica claimed that the suspects are identified supporters of Garcia and he has been receiving death threats through text messages.