Polls to proceed in Miag-ao villages despite burning of PCOS machines
There’s no reason for the election to be postponed in some Miag-ao barangays despite the burning of five PCOS (precinct count optical scan) machines.
This, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine Army, and the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – Region VI during yesterday’s Regional Joint Security Control Center (R-JSCC) meeting at the Police Regional Office (PRO) VI headquarters at Camp Delgado, Iloilo City.
Iloilo provincial election supervisor Atty. Elizabeth Doronila said that they already replaced with the new PCOS machines taken from the reserved PCOS machines.
During the conference, COMELEC regional director Atty. Rey Rene Buac and PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Isagani Cuevas agreed to double the security in the area.
On the other hand, Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division commanding officer Maj. Gen. Vicente Porto declared that they sent three platoons of soldiers in the area.
A platoon will be deployed near the voting centers where the five PCOS machines will be utilized.
The other remaining soldiers will serve as road security in the 6-kilometer stretch of the affected Miag-ao villages.
To note, five PCOS machines were burned at around 3:30 p.m. of Satuday at the Home Economics building of Cadoldolan Elementary School at Brgy. Cadoldolan, Miag-ao, Iloilo.
The area is 20 kilometers from the town proper and could be reached in a 3-hour hike from the nearest access road.
The PCOS machines are intended for voters of Brgy. To-og (93 voters), Onop (159 voters), Matalngon (81 voters), Cabalaunan (132 voters), and Cadoldolan (75voters).
In a report of Miag-ao Police Station, the 5 PCOS machines were set on fire by some 15 armed rebels led by Armando Sabares alias “Allan/Kamlon,” commanding officer of the FOC and SDG of the New People’s Army.
They immediately withdrew to the mountainous areas of the said barangays.
PO2 Placido Nacis and PO1 Cenon Elicanal, the cops detailed at the JSCC-Security Assistance Desk, claimed that they were fetching water at a nearby well when they saw smoke coming from the HE building.
The duo added to have seen armed men firing their guns.
Since they were outnumbered and outgunned, Nacis and Elicanal withdrew and reported the incident to Miag-ao Police Station.
Three hours later, members of the 1st and 2nd Maneuver Platoons o the Iloilo Provincial Public Safety Management Company proceeded to the area and re-enforced Miag-ao Police Station.
Members of the 82nd Infantry Battalion’s Charlie Company also conducted a hot pursuit operation.
What armed men?
But while the two cops claimed to have seen armed men, residents disputed seeing any suspected NPA member.
According to Brgy. Capt. Romeo Forclarans, they saw the two cops eating some 200 meters from the HE building.
After seeing the smoke, residents rushed to the area to put off the fire
However, the building was locked preventing them to take the PCOS machines.
In a report, they claimed that no blast was heard and no armed men were seen.
Probe
Cuevas announced yesterday that they created a special investigation task group headed by Supt Benedicto Genodepa, chief of the investigation section of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO)
He will have Chief Insp. Fernando Salvatierra, provincial officer of the Iloilo Criminal Investigation and Detection Team; Supt. Edgardo Lenizo; Lt. Col. Jorge Joel Lalaquil of the 82IB; and Insp. Ferdinand Limbungan of the Miag-ao Police Station.
“Pending the result of the investigation, we maintained that the incident was perpetrated by armed rebels,” he added.
Nacis and Elicanal were also placed on probe.
