Armed men of Malonzo, Asistio in near shootout

Tempers flared and guns were drawn as the groups of political rivals, Caloocan City re-electionist Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo and Representative Luis "Baby" Asistio, had a heated encounter at a polling center in a school in Bukid Area in the city early yesterday morning.

Allan Encarnacion, Asistio’s spokesperson, said that the incident happened at around 1:30 a.m. at the Tala Elementary School.

Asistio’s pollwatchers reported that Malonzo’s men were allegedly harassing them during the counting at the precinct level. Encarnacion said 12 Asistio supporters, including himself, responded in four vehicles.

Upon reaching the school, they were met by 20 supporters of Malonzo who came in five vehicles.

Lawyer Francisco Veza, secretary to the mayor, allegedly told Asistio’s watchers: "Bakit kayo nandito? Umalis na kayo kung ayaw ninyong ma-buwisit dito (Why are you here? Get out if you don’t want to be ticked off!)."

Veza’s bodyguard then pulled out a gun prompting Asistio’s men to draw their guns as well, said Encarnacion. The standoff lasted for about 30 minutes until a high-ranking police official intervened.

Encarnacion said the groups did not bother filing a police report as it was a "stalemate" between them.

When asked about the incident, Caloocan City police chief Superintendent Benjardi Mantele told The STAR that there was "no near clash" but confirmed that he received a report that were "armed groups" at Tala Elementary School early yesterday morning.

Mantele said he instructed Superintendent Bonifacio Noval, Station 1 commander, to verify the report. Noval, in turn, reported that there was no untoward incident.

Meanwhile, Malonzo yesterday claimed his opponents have hatched an assassination plot against him. He said he started receiving death threats two weeks ago but kept it from the public.

"Sasabihin ng kalaban ko bakit nila ako papatayin eh talo naman ako (They’ll just scoff and say I’ll lose the elections anyway so there’s no point in killing me)," he said. Malonzo added he first ignored the threats, which he knew were only meant to "scare him."

However, he said, with the partial election results showing him leading over Asistio, the attempt to liquidate him becomes more imminent.

According to the Malonzo group’s count, the incumbent mayor has received 136,765 votes in 2,286 precincts as against Asistio’s 108,417, as of yesterday afternoon.

Asistio’s spokesperson, Allan Encarnacion, said that based on their group’s count, the final result in the second district from 1,292 precincts, showed Asistio had 75,371 votes compared to Malonzo’s 69,297.

Based on the count by the National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) in the city, as of 12 noon, from 266 precincts, Malonzo had received 15,894 votes and Asistio, 14,362.

Malonzo said that intelligence reports and his deep penetration agents (DPAs) in his rival’s camp confirmed the plan to assassinate him.

According to Malonzo, he continues to receive death threats through text messages and telephone calls, the last one on Tuesday when a man called up his house.

Malonzo was last seen in public Monday when he went to the city hall together with Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman (MMDA) Benjamin Abalos to talk to City Treasurer Lourdes Jose, who was blamed for the failed distribution of ballot boxes and election paraphernalia. Last week, Malonzo was with President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at the Caloocan Ctiy High School where the president formally signed the agreement implementing her Labor Day Executive Order declaring the non-core properties of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) in Caloocan as housing areas for the urban poor in the city.

Malonzo is celebrating his 49th birthday today and his "impending victory" with a march from the D’Carr Headquarters on 10th Avenue, Caloocan to the Notre Dame School of Manila for a thanksgiving Mass. As of yesterday, however, Malonzo said he is still trying to decide if he will join the march or not.