Army to secure Malabon polls

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Army will ensure safe and secure elections in Malabon, where the mayor and vice mayor compete for the top post and councilors are killed in the runup to the elections.

Malabon elections officer Winston Gaffud said yesterday he has requested the deployment of 63 Army personnel in Malabon to secure the checkpoints and the polling sites tomorrow.

“We want to change the culture and history in Malabon. We want to achieve zero casualty. We don’t have to instill violence and fear among the people just to be voted for,,” Gaffud said, noting that in the previous elections, supporters of opposing candidates in Malabon were killed.

Malabon was recently cleared of being an election hotspot despite the deaths of two barangay councilors Rodrigo Tambo and Dante Sih since last year.

Sih was shot at a market in Barangay Panghulo while he was boarding his motorcycle last April 10. A communist hit group claimed responsibility. 

Tambo, who was Mayor Antolin Oreta III’s political officer, was shot dead by armed assailants last November 2018. The gunmen were identified by the police, but the family backed off from filing charges due to fear of reprisal.

The killings were personally motivated and not election-related, according to the police, Gaffud said.

Five barangay councilors and city councilor Merlin “Tiger” Mañalac, grandson of the notorious Malabon top cop Alfonso “Boyong” Mañalac, were killed in Malabon since 2016.

Malabon police chief Col. Jessie Tamayao said the city was cleared due to the absence of intense political rivarly.

Oreta will be running against Vice Mayor Jeannie Sandoval for the top post. They have traded barbs during the 45-day campaign period, accusing each other of fake surveys and black propaganda.