The military and police are on full alert while health workers are also on “code white†to deal with any election-related violent incidents. Going by the number of attacks reported since January, the military and police will have to do more.
The national campaign period opened in January with the murder in Quezon City of a mayor running for a fresh term in the little known town of Maconacon in Isabela, which has only a few thousand voters. The assassinations have not stopped since then. As of the last count this week, the death toll stood at 36, with nearly 60 armed attacks suspected to be linked to the election campaign.
Much of the violence can be attributed to the weakness in enforcing the election gun ban. As in the past, New People’s Army gunmen have ignored the ban, using the campaign as an opportunity for intensified extortion and fund-raising, with a portion of the money believed to be funneled to the campaign kitties of the NPA’s favored candidates. It’s not just the NPA, however, that flouts the gun ban. Political kingpins are among the most blatant violators, often using armed force to intimidate rival camps.
Those tasked by the state to enforce the gun ban are often part of the private armies of these abusive politicians. These security forces are also supposed to enforce the two-day liquor ban that starts tomorrow. They are supposed to assist election personnel in enforcing rules on the display of campaign materials.
Instead anarchy reigns, with many election rules broken and the gun ban a farce. There are reports of hired guns thriving in the election season. Security officials may dispute this, but the best way to get the real story is to catch killers – which rarely happens. As security forces announced their red alert, the public was again assured of peaceful elections. Security forces will have to do a better job of keeping the peace.