2 Palparan campaigners found dead
DAVAO CITY—TWO POLL CAMPAIGNERS of retired Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan’s Bantay party-list group were found dead after they were abducted by unidentified men in Calinan District here, police said on Sunday. Panlilio resurrects good governance crusade
The body of Juliana Noquera, 51, of Barangay Dominga, Calinan, was recovered on a beach in the Island Garden City of Samal in Davao del Norte on Saturday, while that of Ronald Miranda, 49, of Landmark village in Buhangin District here, was found in Sta. Maria, Davao del Sur, on the same day, he said.
Both were decomposing and bore stab wounds, Senior Insp. William Dalogdog, deputy commander of the Calinan police, said.
Dalogdog said the two were campaigning for Bantay, an anticommunist group founded by Palparan, in Calinan on March 24 when they were taken along the national highway around 1:30 p.m.
The communist New People’s Army (NPA) has denied any role in the abduction and execution of the victims. Simon Santiago, political director of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Command, described them as “non-matters” in the conflict with Palparan.
“There is no reason for the NPA to kidnap them. They are just ordinary citizens like the masses that we are fighting for. They, too, are victims of the system. They do not have blood debt against the people that could be enough reason for us to mete down punishment on them,” Santiago said in a statement.
He cited the case of Anad party-list nominee Ramon Teodoro Garcia, who was allowed to go home unharmed after NPA rebels chanced upon him while campaigning in Barangay Dominga, also in Calinan, on March 24.
Anad is also an anticommunist group identified with Palparan and headed by Pastor Jun Alcover.
But on Sunday night, the rebels disarmed and held for two hours four members of Anad and Bantay for “unfair campaigning” in Barangay Tibuloy, one of the bases of the communist movement in Toril District.
The four were identified as Danilo Pindon, Dennis Pindon, Dodong Acli and Rafael Eco. Santiago said Dennis had a 9-mm pistol while Eco had a .38-cal. pistol.
“We cannot allow them to enter our territories and misbehave. They were even armed. For two hours, they had to be lectured about being fair in campaigning for their party-list groups. They were released after,” Santiago said.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte branded as crazy the insinuations that he was behind the abduction-killings. “What will I gain? People will only sympathize with the party-list group,” he said.
Duterte warned that it could be a prelude to more violence, noting reports he received that armed men abducted a village official and shot another. He did not elaborate.
Arthur Tariman, Anad coordinator for Mindanao, has accused allies of Duterte of being behind the killings. CITY OF SAN FERNANDO— Gov. Eddie Panlilio kicked off his reelection campaign on Easter Sunday to resurrect what he called the good governance crusade that he and his supporters started in 2007.
“For us, Christian believers, resurrection is a very special day. It means new life coming from death. This campaign motorcade is aimed at resurrecting the good governance crusade and responsible citizenship in the province,” said Panlilio, a Catholic priest and the Liberal Party (LP) candidate for governor.
Panlilio, who is again facing former Board Member Lilia Pineda of the administration Lakas-Kampi-CMD party, led a two-kilometer-long convoy of vehicles that went around the province.
He said he still felt the clamor expressed by Kapampangans in 2007 for him to lead the province.
The motorcade took a 140-km route that passed through the towns of Mexico, Sta. Ana, Arayat, Magalang and Mabalacat. It later passed through Porac, Floridablanca and Lubao, all towns in the second congressional district, the bailiwick of Pineda and her ally, President Macapagal-Arroyo, the administration candidate for representative.
Despite the heat, people waited along the streets to greet Panlilio and his running mate, Marco Lazatin. Some were flashing the “L” or “Laban” (Fight) sign, which is identified with LP standard-bearer Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Candidates and supporters of the LP joined Panlilio’s convoy in each stop.
Absent in the sorties were big Kapampangan businessmen and allies who had earlier supported his gubernatorial bid.
Panlilio said they were only few and new supporters were helping fund the campaign.
The Commission on Elections in February unseated Panlilio after a recount showed Pineda was the winner in the 2007 elections. Pineda, however, has yet to assume the post pending the resolution of Panlilio’s appeal.
Panlilio said his camp would guard the LP’s votes to avoid accusations of cheating and other irregularities.