THE United Nationalist Alliance condemned the killing of former Banisilan, North Cotabato Mayor Floro Allado on Thursday and warned that the string of election-related killings may be used to pressure the Commission on Elections to suspend elections in some parts of Mindanao.
“UNA strongly condemns the killing of Mayor Allado. Vice President Jejomar Binay expressed his deep condolences to the family of Mayor Floro,” said UNA spokesperson Mon Ilagan.
UNA also expressed apprehension that the build up of political violence will likely be used as a reason to pressure the Comelec to invoke its powers to suspend the elections in that region under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code.
“We are deeply concerned over the increasing scale of uncontrolled violence in areas that are already identified as ‘hot spots’ by the police and military. It is alarming that such incident occurs during election period,” he said.
Two years ago, Allado survived a grenade attack but two of his cousins were killed, Ilagan recalled.
Chief Inspector Ericson Baniaga, police chief of Wao town in Lanao del Sur, said Allado was attacked by a masked gunman while he was filling his vehicle with gasoline at a station in Barangay Eastern at 12:40 p.m.
Baniaga said Allado, who was seeking to be reelected mayor of Banisilan along with three other candidates, was on his way to Cagayan de Oro City at the time of the incident.
Though wounded, Allado was able to run for cover but he fell in a creek beside the gasoline station where the suspect caught up with him and fired another shot that killed him, Baniaga said.
Ilagan said that under Section 5 of the Omnibus Election Code, the Comelec is vested the power to suspend the elections “in case of violence, terrorism, force majeure, and other analogous causes” that may cause for a failure of election.
Ilagan said that some quarters have resorted to callous acts of terror in order to disrupt the forthcoming elections.
He said that in a span of one week, a number of election-related killings happened, suggesting a pattern of violence in areas where UNA supporters in the provinces are either being threatened or harassed.
Last week, former Sto. Tomas Councilor Damasino “Caloy” Mabilangan Jr. was killed by still unidentified armed men. Mabilangan was an UNA member and fraternity brother of Vice President Binay.
“We reiterate our call to the Comelec to ensure security during the election period. The UNA is appealing to all to make the elections clean, fair and honest and safe,’’ Ilagan said.