Loot makes scene in polling center

CEBU, Philippines – Tensions run high at Tapilon Elementary School in Daanbantayan when Mayor Maria Luisa Loot allegedly took a woman's digital camera.

Shellice Faith Coyoca, 26, of Barangay Tapilon accused Loot of forcibly taking her digital camera while she was taking pictures for personal use inside the school premises.

Coyoca claimed, while taking pictures, Loot arrived and immediately confronted her what she was taking pictures of.

The Mayor allegedly asked her, "kinsa man imo gi-picture-picturan day, picture pud ko."

Immediately, Loot grabbed the camera and passed it on to her bodyguard Helmar Cañete then later to Senior Police Officer 4 Jose Dupay.

Dupay, who was identified as police escort of Loot, also invited Coyoca to the Daanbantayan Police Station. She was however released few minutes later upon the order of the town police chief Laurel Almirante.

Dupay explained that he was outside the Tapilon Elementary School when she heard somebody calling for police assistance prompting him to respond. On his way he met Loot's driver, Cañete, at the gate of the school who handed to him a camera.

The camera was no longer returned to Coyoca because it is allegedly in the possession of Loot's legal counsel. Tapilon is one of the barangays listed on the Comelec watchlist because of the candidacy of retired police Col. Hiram Binatiro, a known political rival of the incumbent mayor.

Despite the incident, however, the police and the Comelec described the conduct of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Daanbantayan as generally peaceful compared to the previous elections.

Provincial election supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano who was in northern Cebu the whole day yesterday also said that the entire voting process was alright except for the delays in the start of the voting.

The delay was caused by the delayed delivery of election paraphernalia. - Gregg M. Rubio and Jose P. Sollano/FPL (FREEMAN)