PAMPANGA IS not an election hotspot. The Philippine National Police says.
Yet, seven Pampanga towns – Apalit, Arayat, Candaba, Mabalacat, Mexico, Porac and San Simon – were put in the PNP watch list. This, owing to “growing tension” the police say.
“Although these towns are not hotspots, we have included them in our watch list and monitoring because of intense political rivalry and history of election-related incidents.” So was Pampanga chief cop Senior Supt. Gil Lebin, Jr. quoted as saying.
Of Arayat being an election hotspot, I fully agree with the police. The town replete with a history of violence, electoral or otherwise. Its mayors either succumbing to or surviving assassination attempts.
Re-electionist Mayor Chito Espino is a survivor of more than one ambuscade. So is aspirant Bon Alejandrino.
Violence having been intertwined with the lives of certain candidates does indeed make some highly volatile election probabilities.
The history of electoral violence in Candaba – its most vivid remembrance in the ambush of Mayor Gallardo in the Huk-era of the ‘60s yet – has been written with a definitive finis.
Vociferous verbiage – embodied in Mayor Jerry Pelayo – comes nearest to violence there. Not for anything else but in the matter of the alphabet.
San Simon takes similarities with Candaba. Bombast rather than bombs and bullets providing the heat to the election campaign.
And with businesspersons competing for the top prize, common guys, the worst we can expect in San Simon is a catfight.
Porac, as a hotspot? The last high profile political killing I can remember is that of Mayor Nonong Lumanlan, shot in the head right on the campaign stage in Barangay Sta. Cruz in the closing days leading to the election of 1988.
Since then, only the characters of candidates get assassinated. Okay, in 2000, Roy David, already an ex-mayor then, survived the daytime ambush right in front of the dwGV station while three of his companions were killed. But he was not into any election campaign then.
Mexico – like Arayat – has a long history of political violence. I was on the crime scene shortly after Mayor Javier Hizon was shot dead in the late ‘80s, covering for the Associated Press and the Journal Group of Publications then.
Yes, there was the killing of a campaigner for Sen. Noynoy Aquino a few weeks back. So, Mexico’s got to stay in the watch list. Still, the absence of any opponent to Mayor Teddy Tumang and his vice mayor has greatly dissipated the tension in the town.
Of Apalit, I cannot recall any incident of election violence. At least not in the three elections I covered with Mayor Tirso Lacanilao emerging winner each time. And not in the last elections where Jun Tetangco, once loser to Mayor “Pogi,” emerged triumphant.
Mayor Lacanilao died a violent death. But that – police said – was not election related, happening in 2008. The crime committed in Calumpit, not in Apalit.
Ridiculously funny is Mabalacat finding itself in the PNP hot list for “growing tension” and “intense political rivalry.”
The elections of 2010 is a romp in the park for the ever-reelecting mayor Boking Morales. The only tension increasing is in the nerves of one John Sambo who cannot push the candidacy of his wife any inch longer than the Belo-chiseled nose.
It is but right to put Mabalacat in some other police watch list though – for post-election fire, with special concern for ballots-a-burning.
Now that’s one real hot spot.
Yet, seven Pampanga towns – Apalit, Arayat, Candaba, Mabalacat, Mexico, Porac and San Simon – were put in the PNP watch list. This, owing to “growing tension” the police say.
“Although these towns are not hotspots, we have included them in our watch list and monitoring because of intense political rivalry and history of election-related incidents.” So was Pampanga chief cop Senior Supt. Gil Lebin, Jr. quoted as saying.
Of Arayat being an election hotspot, I fully agree with the police. The town replete with a history of violence, electoral or otherwise. Its mayors either succumbing to or surviving assassination attempts.
Re-electionist Mayor Chito Espino is a survivor of more than one ambuscade. So is aspirant Bon Alejandrino.
Violence having been intertwined with the lives of certain candidates does indeed make some highly volatile election probabilities.
The history of electoral violence in Candaba – its most vivid remembrance in the ambush of Mayor Gallardo in the Huk-era of the ‘60s yet – has been written with a definitive finis.
Vociferous verbiage – embodied in Mayor Jerry Pelayo – comes nearest to violence there. Not for anything else but in the matter of the alphabet.
San Simon takes similarities with Candaba. Bombast rather than bombs and bullets providing the heat to the election campaign.
And with businesspersons competing for the top prize, common guys, the worst we can expect in San Simon is a catfight.
Porac, as a hotspot? The last high profile political killing I can remember is that of Mayor Nonong Lumanlan, shot in the head right on the campaign stage in Barangay Sta. Cruz in the closing days leading to the election of 1988.
Since then, only the characters of candidates get assassinated. Okay, in 2000, Roy David, already an ex-mayor then, survived the daytime ambush right in front of the dwGV station while three of his companions were killed. But he was not into any election campaign then.
Mexico – like Arayat – has a long history of political violence. I was on the crime scene shortly after Mayor Javier Hizon was shot dead in the late ‘80s, covering for the Associated Press and the Journal Group of Publications then.
Yes, there was the killing of a campaigner for Sen. Noynoy Aquino a few weeks back. So, Mexico’s got to stay in the watch list. Still, the absence of any opponent to Mayor Teddy Tumang and his vice mayor has greatly dissipated the tension in the town.
Of Apalit, I cannot recall any incident of election violence. At least not in the three elections I covered with Mayor Tirso Lacanilao emerging winner each time. And not in the last elections where Jun Tetangco, once loser to Mayor “Pogi,” emerged triumphant.
Mayor Lacanilao died a violent death. But that – police said – was not election related, happening in 2008. The crime committed in Calumpit, not in Apalit.
Ridiculously funny is Mabalacat finding itself in the PNP hot list for “growing tension” and “intense political rivalry.”
The elections of 2010 is a romp in the park for the ever-reelecting mayor Boking Morales. The only tension increasing is in the nerves of one John Sambo who cannot push the candidacy of his wife any inch longer than the Belo-chiseled nose.
It is but right to put Mabalacat in some other police watch list though – for post-election fire, with special concern for ballots-a-burning.
Now that’s one real hot spot.
