Aspirant asks for neutral policemen to secure Punta Engaño

PUNTA Engaño Barangay Captain Josie Hayashi who is running for reelection has reported being harrassed by unidentified men while on their campaign trail and Pulong-pulong sa Barangay.

In a letter to the Police Regional Office, Hayashi said that while she and her runningmates were having a pulong pulong at the gate of Artierra Hotel in Sitio Mangal, Punta Engaño in Lapu-Lapu City last May 6, 2018, one of the members of the unidentified group broke an empty bottle. Since some of the group were wearing ski bonnets, the audience was alarmed and ran away.

A few minutes later, a SWAT Police Unit arrived near the Barangay Hall, only to tell some people there that they were securing the rally of the opposing camp of former Barangay Captain Lourdes Ibag.

Hayashi had filed an election protest against Ibag and was recently declared the winning candidate and was only recently able to take over as barangay captain.

Ibag is currently running as barangay kagawad.

Hayashi’s rival for the post is Crisanto Estardo.

Hayashi said they have been receiving reports about armed men arriving in their barangay believed to be “Muslim” based on their dialect.

The group went to the barangay hall looking for a lost daughter from Marawi.

“Our barangay folks fear for their safety now. Some of our supporters manifested not to attend the Pulong-pulong anymore fearing for their lives,” Hayashi said.

She requested for police security from the region saying she did not trust the city’s police force, believing that they were not neutral.