'Pasay polls can turn bloody'

April 15 may literally run red in Pasay City, Mayor Jovito Claudio warned yesterday as he urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to place the city under Comelec control during the recall elections.

In a letter to Comelec Chairman Harriet Demetriou, Claudio said the polls may "go out of hand."

"With our current political atmosphere and traditional style of politics, serious political patronage is very prevalent especially among our local officials, aspiring candidates and their supporters which makes the situation so volatile," he said. Claudio also urged the Comelec to remove two local poll officials whom he accused of favoring one candidate.

Claudio said Leni Quinon and Luisa Palad, election assistants for Pasay's first and second districts, have been "actively engaging in partisan politics." He did not say which candidate the two were favoring.

Demetriou acted with haste and ordered an investigation of Claudio's allegations. Finding the charges credible, she directed the transfer of the two to Manila.

Earlier, a Pasay City prosecutor was temporarily transferred to another city by Justice Secretary Artemio Tuquero for allegedly campaigning for Claudio.

Claudio is running against three challengers, namely Ricardo "Ding" Santos, Wenceslao "Peewee" Trinidad, and Romulo Marcelo.

Demetriou assured the public that next week's elections would be peaceful and orderly. She said that she had met with National Capital Region police chief Edgardo Aglipay and Pasay police head Rodolfo Caisip on security for the polls.