ALBAY, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has taken control of Libon town in Albay in preparation for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

According to Comelec-Bicol Director Jane Valeza, the Commission en banc declared Libon town under its control on October 20 due to a series of killings attributed to tense grassroots-level politics.

The town will remain under Comelec control until November 29.

The Comelec also turned the Bicol Regional Joint Security Control Center into a special task force and charged it with full supervision over all law enforcement agencies assigned or deployed in the area. It will also have the authority to impose curfew hours as necessary and establish Comelec checkpoints.

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Libon has been identified as a town in the Bicol region with intense political rivalries that have allegedly resulted in bloodshed. Another contributing factor is the presence of a known armed group in the area.

The decision of the Comelec en banc was based on the recommendations of the Regional Joint Security Control Center (RJSCC), the Provincial Joint Security Control Center Albay (PJSCC), and the Municipal Joint Security Control Center-Libon (MJSCC).

Comelec spokesperson John Rex Laudiango said the Commission’s Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns, headed by Commissioner Aimee Ferolino, determined that the peace and order situation in Libon is likely to affect the conduct of elections.

The resolution cited the assassinations of spouses Alfredo and barangay councilor Relly Mata on August 22 and barangay chairman Alex Repato on August 28.

Repato was shot dead shortly after filing his certificate of candidacy at the local Comelec office. He was 51.

According to the Comelec en banc, these killings have created an atmosphere of fear and anxiety among voters in the town.

Laudiangco noted that the town also has a documented history of politically motivated incidents both before and during elections, along with intense political rivalry among candidates and their supporters.

Laudiangco said communist rebels and the dreaded Conception gang, serving as a private armed group, have aggravated the situation in the town.

Albay 3rd District Representative Fernando Cabredo said he hoped that the move will ensure safety, peace, and voter confidence, and encourage active participation in the upcoming elections in Libon.

Cabredo has asked the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) in Bicol to investigate the series of killings in Libon. 

He has also urged the police to utilize the full force of the law against the killers and those resorting to gun violence, as the unsolved murder cases have negatively impacted the town’s socio-economic conditions. – Rappler.com