Poll violence casts shadow on town with 2,891 voters

ILAGAN CITY, Philippines – Maconacon, one of the four coastal towns of Isabela province, is so remote it can be reached only by light plane or through a 24-hour ride on flimsy boats from Cagayan’s northernmost Santa Ana town in the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean.

Rich in marine resources, Maconacon used to be controlled by large logging concessionaires.

The town has only 2,891 registered voters.

And yet political violence, common in many areas of Northern Luzon, has also marred life in Maconacon.

On May 20, 2009, the town’s mayor, Francisco Talosig, was shot dead in Tuguegarao, capital of Cagayan. His relatives suspected the involvement of the vice mayor who took over his post upon his death, Erlinda Mora Domingo, but the killers remain unidentified.

The other night Domingo herself was gunned down as she got out of her vehicle outside an apartelle in Quezon City.

Domingo is survived by her two children, Liezle Domingo Vicente, 24, who lives in the town, and Celso Domingo Jr., who is working in Taiwan. The slain mayor was separated from her husband Celso Sr., who is reportedly also abroad.

The mayor’s elder brother, Ricardo Mora, said their family wanted her remains airlifted to the town for burial.

“She was born and reared here,” Mora said.

He disputed reports that his sister had bitter political enemies.

Domingo’s sister, Edna Domingo-Li who is based in Hong Kong, expressed similar sentiments to The STAR.

“Our family is totally shocked by her killing,” Li said.

Isabela Vice Gov. Rodito Albano vowed that the killers would be put behind bars, “regardless of who they are and who are possibly behind them.”

“Mayor Domingo was one of our best performing mayors. We’ll mobilize our official and personal resources to get to the bottom of this killing,” Albano said.

Albano is no stranger to violence. His uncle, Ilagan Mayor Delfinito Albano, was also shot dead in Quezon City in 2007. No one has been arrested.

The vice governor is related to Senior Superintendent Richard Albano, Quezon City police chief, which is handling Domingo’s murder.

Meanwhile, the Commission on Elections is considering whether Maconacon should be classified as an election area of concern. – With Raymund Catindig