Garcia to recommend placing Malabang, Lanao del Sur under Comelec control

Malabang, Lanao del Sur may be placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) for the 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) following the indiscriminate firing incident in the municipality during the filing of certificate of candidacy, poll chairman George Garcia said Sunday.

Garcia said that he would personally recommend placing Malabang under Comelec control after two individuals fired shots at the Municipal Hall of Malabang on August 31 amid the COC filing.

“‘Yun ay ginawa nila upang takutin ang mga nagpa-file ng certificates of candidacy at pigilan na mag-file sila ng COC. ‘Yung nagpa-file na kandidato for Barangay Kagawad at Chairman ay ‘yan ay mga kababaihan,” Garcia said.

(They did that to intimidate those who were filing certificates of candidacy and prevent them from filing COC. The candidates who were filing for Barangay Kagawad and Chairman are women.)

Garcia said the perpetrators, allegedly working for Malabang Mayor Alinader Balindong, have surrendered to authorities. They are currently in detention and formal charges were filed against them.

The poll chairman said a show cause has also been issued against Balindong.

Based on the show cause order issued by the Comelec, the mayor was ordered to appear before the Comelec Law Department on September 20 to explain why a complaint for election offense should not be filed against him.

Failure to comply shall be construed a waiver for his right to be heard.

Due to this, Garcia said he is convincing other Comelec commissioners to place Malabang under Comelec control as violence may happen anytime in the area due to political rivalry.

“Ako po mismo ang magre-recommend ng Comelec control sa mismong Malabang at ang bawat commissioner ay aking kinukumbinse na ‘yan ay malagay sa Comelec control. Nakita kaagad nila na maaring maging magulo ang eleksyon sa darating na October 30,” he said.

(I will recommend placing Malabang under Comelec control and I will convince every commissioner to do so. They saw that the election on October 30 could be chaotic.)

“Maaring sumiklab anytime ang kaguluhan diyan dahil sa magkakamag-anak. Para mapigilan, kailangan panindigan ng Comelec na kami ang may control sa mismong lugar,” he added.

(Violence can break out anytime because of families. In order to prevent it, the Comelec must show that we are in control of the area itself.)

Last week, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it has beefed up its deployment to Malabang due to the indiscriminate firing incident.

“We are now beefing up our forces there to make sure that there will be no further violations or similar incidents that will happen in that area,” PNP chief Police General Benjamin Acorda Jr. said. —KG, GMA Integrated News