Ecija police chief: Gapan 'no-gun' zone

GAPAN CITY, Nueva Ecija , Philippines  – The Philippine National Police has declared as a no-gun zone, even to its members to prevent the outbreak of violence between the camps of outgoing Mayor Ernesto Natividad and Vice Mayor Christian Tinio.

Senior Superintendent Ricardo Marquez, PNP provincial director, told The STAR that the no firearms zone is now in force at city hall to ease the tension between the two camps.

“The gun ban will not only apply to the contending parties but also to members of the Police Security Protection Group (PSPG). If they don’t want to surrender their guns, they have no business being in the city hall,” he said.  

Marquez made the move after political tension flared last week when the brother of Natividad barged into the Commission on Elections office and choked an election officer for alleged bias. Natividad has called on the Commission on Elections to relieve the city election officer who he accused of allegedly being biased in favor of Tinio.

Natividad accused Belen Rivera, city election officer, and her men of allegedly being partial to new registrants identified with Tinio and of allegedly turning the Comelec office as an extension office of the minority bloc of the Sangguniang Panglunsod.

His call for Rivera’s relief came after the PNP placed the Comelec under heavy security since Oct. 22, a day after the mayor’s elder brother Romeo reportedly confronted, cursed and choked election assistant Herbert Santiago for allegedly blocking the registration of Natividad’s supporters.  

Complaint

Santiago, in his complaint filed before Gapan station commander Superintendent Diosdado Iñego, said Romeo, with a gun tucked in his waist and accompanied by bodyguards, barged inside the Comelec office at the second floor of the city hall hurled invectives at him and choked him.

The incident, which led to the suspension of registration, prompted Marquez to dispatch a team from the PNP provincial mobile group to secure the poll body’s office. Marquez said the police team would remain in the area until after the completion of yesterday’s registration.

Rivera condemned the elder Natividad’s actuations, saying it was totally uncalled for. She said the Comelec was just doing its job of thoroughly screening the registrants.

Lawyer Emmanuel Ignacio, Comelec regional director for Central Luzon, said the incident constitutes a criminal offense, saying they have referred it to the poll body’s law department for possible legal action against Natividad’s brother.

Natividad said that he regretted his brother’s outburst which he described as an “isolated incident.” However, he said he expected the incident to happen, particularly since the Comelec, he said, has not been acting on his request to relieve officials who he perceived to be favoring Tinio’s camp.

Natividad’s wife Baby is running for mayor against Tinio, his former ally, in next year’s elections.

To prove that the Comelec is biased towards Tinio, Natividad said the vice mayor’s relative, Lean Tinio, acted as election assistant together with her husband George Sta. Ines. He said that since June, he has been asking Ignacio to have the couple relieved to ensure that the Comelec remains impartial. He said that while Ignacio relieved Lean, Sta. Ines was retained.

He also questioned why the Comelec allowed the assignment of three other SP employees identified with Tinio – Angelica Flores, Cherry Vistan and Arsenia Pastolero – to the Comelec office. “It’s as if the Comelec has become the extension office of the SP,” he said.