• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
While not all 19 barangays of Himamaylan City are considered as “areas of concern,” Mayor Raymund Tongson admitted that there are political tensions in the hinterland villages.
“We are finding ways to solve it,” Tongson said, adding that he is going around the barangays to ensure that the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in Himamaylan City on Oct. 30, will be peaceful and orderly.
Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, earlier confirmed that some of the hinterland barangays in Himamaylan City are among the 55 villages in Negros Occidental which were recommended to the Commission on Elections to be categorized as election areas of concerns, due to sightings of armed rebels.
The hinterland barangays of Buenavista and Carabalan in Himamaylan City, are two villages that became battlegrounds of the Philippine Army and communist rebels over the past several months.
Tongson also claimed the recent shooting incident in Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan City, is related to politics, while PCol. Leo Pamittan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, yesterday said that “it is not,” based on reports.
If there is an election related incident, we discussed it with our provincial police staff to determine. I am sure it is not an election related incident, Pamittan added.
Tongson disclosed that the barangay election in Brgy. Aguisan, Himamaylan City, is “highly- contested.”
A P200,000 reward has been offered by Tongson for any information that would lead to the arrest of the suspect and the one who ordered the shooting. “We want to let the public know that my administration wants to ensure a peaceful election,” he pointed out.*
