JAEN, Nueva Ecija – Over 100 policemen were deployed in this town to thwart any untoward incident amid rising tension between the supporters of rivals contesting the mayoralty.
Mayor Antonio Prospero Esquivel has occupied the mayor’s office since Dec. 22 last year by virtue of an order from the Regional Trial Court while Mayor Sylvia Austria was ordered to return by the Commission on Elections Second Division.
Nueva Ecija police director Col. Marvin Joe Saro, said most of the augmentation forces came from the regional mobile group.
Col. Gerald Licyayo, deputy provincial director for operations, was designated as ground commander.
“Ang mission nila ay i-maintain ang peace and order habang may political row na nangyayari dun,” Saro said, as he called on all parties for sobriety.
On Wednesday, non-uniformed individuals were reportedly seen inside the municipal compound as supporters of Austria were trying to get inside.
A man used a bolt cutter to open the gate while another man inside hurled stones at him.
When the gate was finally opened at around 4 p.m., Austria’s lawyer Dominic Garin, Licyayo, and town police chief Major Baltazar Corpuz were met by Esquivel and his companions at the walkway.
They were refused entry to the municipal building.
Esquivel claimed someone from Austria’s camp was armed with a grenade.
Austria denied the accusation saying his lawyer was to serve to department heads the sangguniang bayan resolution that acknowledged her as the legitimate mayor and a call for meeting on Jan. 26.
Saro said they are conducting investigation on allegations and asked concerned parties to file complaints.
Some quarters blamed for the chaos the inaction of the Department of Interior and Local Government to serve the Comelec order to reinstate Austria.
