DURANO-STREEGAN
A town mayor is under investigation by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for allegedly bringing “goons” during her barangay visits.
The investigation is in response to a letter request by Dean Dosado sent to Comelec last February and then again last April 5, who alleged that his rival, Sogod Mayor Lissa Marie Durano-Streegan and her slate have been campaigning in the barangays accompanied by policemen and members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu).
His first letter request was not acted upon by Comelec but when the incident allegedly happened again, he again wrote to the poll body complaining that Streegan and her slate visited Barangay Ampongol last Sunday, April 3, accompanied by a member of the Sogod police force and seven auxiliary Cafgu members.
Lawyer Eliseo Labaria, Comelec Cebu acting provincial election supervisor, said he has already ordered the local election officer to investigate the allegations against Streegan.
“We will have to wait for the report and recommendation of the local election officer,” Labaria told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview yesterday.
In his letter to the poll body, Dosado, who is running for mayor under the Garcia-led One Cebu, said Streegan’s alleged acts violate the Omnibus Election Code.
Streegan, who is seeking reelection under the Durano-led Barug Alang sa Kauswagan ug Demokrasya (Bakud), vehemently denied Dosado’s allegations saying, “I don’t have goons and bodyguards. That is not true. This is plain black propaganda.”
“If supporters tag along during barangay visits, do you call them goons right away?” Streegan added.
The mayor said Dosado’s complaint is baseless and that he has been accusing her of the same thing “again and again.”
She welcomed the investigation, saying, “Go ahead, the better.”
Candidates and incumbent officials are not allowed to employ armed security guards unless they have secured gun ban exemption from the Comelec.
The election gun ban is from Jan. 9 to June 8 this year.
Labaria said police officers cannot be used as body guards.