Poll-related violence still thrives in Calbayog City despite top cop’s order to stop it

CALBAYOG CITY, Dec. 31 (PNA) – A political supporter in this city was hurt in a shooting incident on Wednesday, two days after Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ricardo Marquez personally ordered local cops here to stop violence.

The police identified the victim as Jojo Taduyo, 28, whose brother, a village official in this city, was slain earlier this year.

The suspects, who were riding a motorcycle, shot the victim on Wednesday afternoon along the main road in Carayman village.

Gunmen, however, failed to fatally hit the victim because an unidentified policeman, who was reportedly present at the crime scene was able to return fire to the suspects.

According to a police report, the victim is still confined in a hospital for treatment.

The shooting incident came two days after Marquez personally ordered the local police here to stop election-related violence and neutralize private armed groups (PAGS).

Marquez and Interior and Local Government Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento were in the city to meet civil society groups to tackle political killings committed by PAGS.

Samar now is one of the six provinces in the country placed by the police under election watch list for 2016 polls.

In the 2010 elections, police managed to neutralize the activities of the “Moloboco” and the “Montealto” private armed groups, however, remnants of such according to the police remain and reportedly now being maintained by some identified politician in Samar.

PNP said they have the list of some members of the group and they are now taking steps to neutralize their activity.

Marquez noted that elections in Samar come with a high price and more often bloody. “Things get violent as desperate politicians cling to power by using private armies during election.”

Four months ago in Victory village, this city, five members of Regulacion family, including children, were brutally killed in what would be the most gruesome election-related violence in Samar.

Since January 2015 to present, the city police here recorded 23 killings.

“Failure to address private armies puts political opponents and ordinary civilians at continued risk from powerful local politicians,” Marquez added.

“The police must be beyond the influence of politicians in their respective areas and need to enforce the full force of the law without fear or favor,” he added.

Meanwhile, Calbayog City Mayor Ronald Aquino said Samar is mourning for peace. The latest shooting victim is reportedly the mayor’s supporter.

“We are against any form of terroristic act here and we are obliged to be against it together,” Aquino said. “This is an attack on our unity and peace.”

Aquino urged the people to be vigilant and to be very watchful to those people responsible for the killings. (PNA)
RMA/SQM/JAZMIN BONIFACIO

Elite cops up for deployment in Samar for 2016 polls

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, Dec. 30 (PNA) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) will deploy Special Action Force (SAF) Company in Samar province by January next year to help ensure peace and order ahead of the 2016 polls.

PNP Director General Ricardo Marquez, during his visit in this city on Tuesday, said the SAF Company composed of at least 88 personnel will be deployed in the city.

According to Marquez, the SAF as well as the CIDG will serve as a support unit to the existing local police force.

Marquez added that there will be no conflicts on the functions with other police forces in the area, as the commander of the Regional Special Operations Task Group will be the one to look into their deployment.

“The SAF and the intelligence group will serve as the support units to the local police force, the Commander of the RSOTG will make their deployment,” Marquez explained.

The top police official said the priority deployment of SAF aims to address election concerns, run after private armed groups, among others.

The PNP has declared five provinces in the country, including Samar as an area of concern for the upcoming elections.

However, Marquez clarified that the declaration was not due to the reported killings in the city, but based on the general situation of the province.

The national police headquarters asked their field commanders to make an assessment of factors that have an impact on elections like presence of private armed groups (PAGS), politically-motivated violence during the past two elections, political rivalries, and the existence of loose firearms.

“It is not just Calbayog, but the entire province of Samar is under the watch list,” Marquez said. “We also closely look at former private armed group members that were reported before,” he added.

Samar province, particularly this city was in the limelight in the past months due to shooting incidents allegedly perpetuated by private armed groups.

PNP Calbayog recorded 43 shooting incidents this year from January to mid-December. In the entire 2014, there were 48 shooting incidents in the city. In the past two years, some of the victims were village officials and political leaders.

In October, the PNP launched the Regional Special Operations Task Group – Samar headed by Sr. Supt. Isias Tonog.

Since October, the group has already conducted nine operations in coordination with the Philippine Army, leading to the arrest of seven alleged private armies. Tonog is hopeful that PAGS will be neutralized before May 2016.

“Actually at this time, there are no reported incidents involving private armed groups like what happened in Victory village in Calbayog and Caugbusan village in Gandara. I hope that with our operation, they will be captured or surrender to authorities,” Tonog added.

Marquez said that they are dedicated to solve the problem. He also urged residents to help them in their efforts to curb the killings in the province.

“We do not entertain the illusion that we can solve the problem, but we are committed and dedicated to solve these problems,” the official told the police officers here. (PNA)
JMC/SQM/JENNIFER SUMAGANG – ALLEGADO

DILG chief hurt by hometown’s ‘killbayog’ tag

CALBAYOG CITY, Samar, Dec. 30 (PNA) – Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento admitted that he is personally affected by the recent killings in his hometown, leading others to tag the city as "killbayog."

In an assembly with civil society organizations on Tuesday, Sarmiento emotionally admitted that he was deeply hurt, for he has worked hard to make Calbayog a better city.

Recently, a high ranking official of the province on a national news broadcast tagged Calbayog as "killbayog" due to recent shooting incidents in the city.

“It really hurts thinking that we worked hard to develop and make this place a better place to live in, but it will be tagged with terms that really hurt me, that Calbayog became killbayog,” Sarmiento said.

“For so many years you’ve delivered sales speeches to encourage people to invest in the city, but incidents like this happened,” he lamented.

Sarmiento served as mayor of Calbayog City for nine years, turning it as one of the top performing cities in the country.

He then served as representative for the first district of Samar before he was appointed by President Benigno Aquino III as DILG chief.

According to Sarmiento, from the time he assumed the highest post in DILG, he immediately talked with national top police officials about the peace and order situation of the city and the entire province of Samar.

Sarmiento said he is now in a better position to address the peace and order in the province.

On Tuesday, Philippine National Police Director General Ricardo Marquez joined Sarmiento in visiting the city and attended the PNP Regional Conference, focusing on the peace and order situation in the entire Samar province.

Sarmiento asked the support of his townmates to make Calbayog a peaceful place.

“Let us help one another to bring back peace in our city,” Sarmiento appealed.

“The main reason why we are here with the PNP chief is to address the problem in Calbayog. I know others are already impatient, but we are here to assure you that the PNP and AFP are doing their primordial mission to bring the Calbayog that we know of before without these incidents,” Sarmiento stressed.

Data from Calbayog police office showed that 43 shooting incidents have been recorded from January until mid-December. (PNA)
SCS/JFM/SQM/JENNIFER SUMAGANG–ALLEGADO