KUSUG bets worry safety, cancel some sorties

CEBU, Philippines - The broad daylight killing of independent candidate Cresistomo “Tata Negro” Llaguno in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel last Tuesday has caused fears among opposition candidates in Cebu City prompting them to cancel some of their campaign sorties.

Mayoralty candidate Alvin Garcia, the standard bearer of the Kugi Uswag Sugbo, announced yesterday that they have decided to cancel their nightly political gatherings and handshaking in some of the barangays for security reasons.

The former mayor has requested the police officials to speed up the investigation into the fatal shooting of the 35-year old Llaguno who was killed by a lone gunman while on a handshaking activities in front of the abandoned slaughter house.

While the suspect, Jimmy Diala, was quickly arrested Garcia saw an opening in the incident to criticize Mayor Tomas Osmeña because of the disturbing peace and order situation in the city.

Garcia said they should be extra careful during these days because they do not know yet whether the killing of Llaguno is personal or politically motivated.

Diala, a resident of Siaton town in Negros Oriental yielded .45 caliber pistol and two magazines loaded with ammunition during his arrest by the responding policemen from the Special Weapon and Tactics (Swat) inside a passenger jeep at Sikatuna Street.

The Kusug candidates have a meeting at an undisclosed place in the city last night to assess the present peace and order situation to find if it would still be safe for them to pursue their scheduled Miting de Avance at Fuente Osmeña rotunda tomorrow evening.

The former mayor is supporting the suggestion that the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will assist the police by conducting parallel probe into the killing to identify the mastermind.

Meanwhile, Llaguno’s political supporters yesterday trooped to the Commission on Elections in Cebu City to ask poll officials to allow them to replace him. However, the election officials said it could not be done.

The Comelec rules provide that substitute candidates will be allowed only for those members of legitimate political parties who will die, killed or disqualified from their candidacies. — THE FREEMAN