Moises Padilla town officials mull Comelec control

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD City – Officials of Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental are planning to ask the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to place the town under its control in connection with the 2022 elections.

Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo said this is a precautionary measure to ensure a peaceful conduct of the election.

It is also for the safety of the candidates and voters, she added.

“We don’t want a repeat of what happened last election,” the mayor said.

Yulo recalled that she was on the campaign trail when her group was ambushed in a barangay in the town.

While she survived the ambush, she lost her brother Mark Garcia and nephew Michael Garcia who was then running for re-election.

Yulo said she will meet with top police officials of the province as well as with the Comelec and Governor Eugenio Lacson and Vice Governor Jeffrey Ferrer regarding the matter.

Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor said he is one with the mayor in requesting the Comelec to place the town under its control.

He was with the mayor when their group was ambushed in 2019.

Councilor Vincent Garcia also joined Yulo’s call. Vincent is the brother of Michael.

Vincent is one of the two incumbent councilors in Moises Padilla town who marched from the police station to the Comelec in handcuffs to file their Certificates of Candidacy for re-election on Tuesday.

Vincent Garcia and Morito Flores were implicated in the murder of town councilor Jolomar Hilario in 2019.

The two surrendered to the local police last month and were detained since then.

Two of their co-accused Jonathan Villaflor and his wife Punong Barangay Fely Villaflor of Quintin Remo, joined the two candidates in the filing.

Also joining them in the march after a mass at the police station were Mayor Ella Garcia-Yulo and other local council aspirants.

Vice Mayor Ian Villaflor was escorted by National Bureau of Investigation agents together with re-electionist Councilor Jimmiedon Plaza.

Plaza and Villaflor, who were also implicated in the crime, surrendered to the NBI.

They all maintained their innocence, labeling the charge as politically motivated and recycled.