Election Day starts peacefully in Ilocos Norte

By Leilanie G. Adriano

Staff reporter

Except for one shooting incident reported at Brgy. Mumulaan in Paoay, Ilocos Norte a night before election day, the Ilocos Norte police said the start of election in this province is generally peaceful.

“There is no untoward incident recorded so far and it is generally peaceful." This is how the police officers assigned in different towns here described the election day on May 9 in Ilocos Norte.

Police Sr. Insp. Ryan Retutar, Solsona police station officer-in-charge said the conduct of election in his town is peaceful and orderly.

“No violations have been reported yet, and as of this time, election here is generally peaceful,” Mr. Retutar said.

Solsona is one of the eight towns here declared as election watch list areas (EWAs) by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The other towns are Pagudpud, Bacarra, Bangui, Pasuquin, Vintar, Badoc, and Marcos. However, there were also no reports of violence in the said towns.

Police Sr. Insp. Rodel Del Castillo reported that at about 10:00 on Sunday evening, Eulysis Velasco, 32, single and native of Laguna province was on his way home, driving a black Honda Wave motorcycle bearing plate number 8648KZ together with his back ride, identified as Jeno Daño, 26, both employees of ASA Microfinance and presently residing at Barangay San Vicente in Laoag City when they noticed a white pick-up vehicle and a Mitsubishi L300 van tailing them. Subsequently, the still unidentified passenger of the pick-up vehicle fired towards them and hit the left leg of Mr. Daño. 

After the incident, the suspects immediately fled southwards, while the victim was rushed to nearby Mariano Marcos Memorial Hospital and Medical Center in Batac City.

At least one empty shell of Caliber 45 and two empty shells of M-14, including one live ammo was recovered at the crime scene.

As of this posting, SPO4 Delfin De Leon who is tasked on investigating the case said they have yet to identify the motive of the shooting incident.

“We cannot identify the suspects yet and if this has anything to do with politics as the two victims have no connection to any political candidate here,” said Mr. De Leon in a telephone interview.

In Laoag City, P/Supt. Edwin Balles said that the election in the city was generally peaceful and orderly and there has been no reported offenses.

Mr. Balles said, the police force is deployed until the election process is finished to ensure total security of the ballots and peaceful elections.

Meanwhile, reports on some glitches of the vote counting machine (vcm) hounded Ilocos Norte on Monday.

About seven towns have been reported to the Comelec of having vcm trouble that caused the delay of the elections.

These are towns of Solsona, Vintar, San Nicolas, Pagudpud, Paoay, Pasuquin, Sarrat and Batac City. The provincial election office however has not specified the total number of malfunctioning VCMs.

The Comelec immediately responded by replacing them with their contingent VCMs.