Guns, goons and gold in Paracelis

BEHIND THE SCENES
Alfred Dizon

(This piece is written by a college student who wants to be identified only as Policarpio.)

I am a student of political science in one of the prominent universities in Manila. I am completing my research work on political issues which I will be publishing soon. I selected Paracelis of Mountain Province, because it has been a haven of alleged massive vote buying. I became much interested because in the 2007 elections an incumbent congressman poured millions of pesos to win votes but a certain Arnold Pilando, an engineer, won over the said congressman in the area.

May 9 this year was a terrible situation. Many cars with markings of candidates and SUV cars without placards of candidates were running to and fro. I asked around and was told the cars were owned by congressional candidates and their supporters.

The following day, our attention was diverted when we heard that an army contingent apprehended three cars bearing high powered firearms. A lot of texting and calling were made by some individuals at the Paracelis municipal hall to check whether the news was true.

I overheard that the persons apprehended riding the three vehicles with long firearms and millions of cash were the sons and nephews of an incumbent official who is candidate for a top position on the province. We were waiting at the police station for the turnover but to no avail. After hours, a man informed me that a police blotter had been made but the names of the candidate’s sons were not in the report.

Some people like MarioYawan, Mi-ing, Fangkingas, Langkayas, Edwin Falag-ey and Johny Cherwaken. were in the list. The guns were nowhere to be found.

There were more reports heard about the firing of guns and burning of chapel of the Iglesia ni Kristo somewhere in Barangay Palitud or Buringal and the burning of PCOS machine and ballots in nearby Barangay Bunot and delay in transport of PCOS machine and compact flash cards. The police seemed to be caught unaware.

The people had mixed views. Some said special elections must be conducted due to massive vote buying with firearms used for coercion by a congressional candidate, his use of government resources and donations purposely for last year's calamity victims and delay in transport of election paraphernalia like PCOS machines and ballots.

I went to Bontoc to follow up the three vehicles that were transported, escorted by the Philippine Army and turned over to the PNP provincial headquarters. As I was chatting with a civilian, I overheard that one long firearm apprehended belonged to the congressional candidate and that the validation was even made with Camp Crame. The other guns seemed to be loose arms.

In an indignation rally at the Bontoc municipal quadrangle, the leaders and supporters of other candidates shouted for suspension of the proclamation of the "winning" congressional candidate because according to them a special election must be done in barangay Bunot.

"This issue is now is a challenge to the chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, director general of the Philippine National Police, chairman of the Commission on Elections, PPCRV and the private sector. If the culprits will not be put in prison then some lives will be sacrificed in succeeding elections," a native of Bontoc said.
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(Here is another letter written by Cayyog Assud on Mt Province politics.)

I am one among the youths who advocate for political change. When I was still young I saw some folks receiving cash or goods in exchange for votes. It is also very apparent during elections in organizations that most of the popular personalities won.

The 2007 elections in Paracelis was a turnaround in Mountain Province politics when the then incumbent congressman poured millions of money but his opponent won a big margin in the area.

In the recent campaign, I was motivated by a congressional candidate who I adjudged the best due to his good political background. I joined his campaign sorties in western Mountain Province.

It was my first time to have seen the developments in district 2 except for Bontoc where I usually passed on our to Baguio City. The other youths from the eastern side of Mountain Province were amazed because district 2 was more advanced in all sorts of development like on agriculture, infrastructures, business environments..

I also appreciated the style of campaign because the in-house staff always reminded us not to speak ill against other candidates. They included voters’ education in almost the rallies and small group caucuses.

But I cannot yet forget things I heard about a youth leader in Natonin who turned down the huge amount offered to her by a son and an abalayan of a certain candidate in exchange for buying voters of other youths.

During election day I had exchanges with other youths and known folks in my community. I was informed that most of the supporters of a perceived “winning candidate” were paid from P500.00 to P2,000.00 depending on the number of family members.

The vote buyers were riding in vehicles similar with what were published in the Mountain Province Exponent and their intonations were very similar to the Bontok dialect. They tried to speak in Ilocano but there were words that were explicitly heard like “noh anen ” or “wen yah” that are usually said by a Bontok folk.

As others and I observed, two or three of the persons giving money had short guns tucked-in in their waists.

Please keep up candidates who had solid votes from good people and volunteers. You will succeed in the forthcoming elections because the evil will soon be doomed to hell. The wrongdoers will enjoy but not too long. Their conscience will haunt them.