Comelec urged to place Quezon under its control

MANILA, Philippines - Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez urged the Commission on Elections (Comelec) yesterday to consider including his province among the areas under its control.

He made the call two days after two of the political leaders of his governor-son Jay Suarez were gunned down.

“The Comelec and the Philippine National Police (PNP) should step into the picture now as election-related violence in Quezon is taking its turn for the worst. They should put the province under their direct control to stem the tide of violence,” he said.

His son, who is seeking his second term, is up against Rep. Irvin Alcala, son of Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

Rep. Suarez also urged the Comelec to look into what he alleged as the widespread distribution of farm inputs supposedly provided by the Department of Agriculture to supporters of their political opponents.

The other day, at around 10:30 p.m., Genesis Castillo, 32, and his wife, Sharon, 30, both of Barangay Lagalag, Tiaong, Quezon, were ambushed by motorcycle-riding men while on their way to a meeting. The two were political leaders of Gov. Suarez.

Castillo sustained six gunshot wounds in the back, two in the neck and one in his head, while his wife had three gunshot wounds in her back, two in her neck and one in the head.

The younger Suarez has offered P400,000 to anyone who could help the police in identifying and arresting the couple’s killers. 

Rep. Suarez said the murder of the Castillo couple is the latest in a spate of election-related violence in Quezon.

Before this, armed men killed Pio Astejada, municipal treasurer of General Nakar town, and his wife Amelia, a public school teacher who was to sit as a member of the board of election inspectors, he said.

“Violence is again rearing its ugly head in Quezon, which was a peaceful place before the election campaign,” he said. – With Ed Amoroso