MANILA, Philippines - With only a few days left before the May 10 elections, a congressional candidate in Taguig City was accused of threatening teachers and poll workers and the son of a mayoralty bet in Muntinlupa City was charged for threatening to shoot supporters of a rival camp and for throwing mineral water bottles at them.
A principal and poll workers manning election centers in at least three barangays in Taguig denounced District 2 congressional candidate Angelito “Jett” Reyes and his lawyers for reportedly intimidating and threatening them, as the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines were delivered to the city’s poll precincts Monday night.
Western Bicutan National High School (WBNHS) principal Rhea Milana said three lawyers of Reyes appeared at the poll precinct in Western Bicutan at about 1:40 a.m. Tuesday and demanded that the re-sealed PCOS machines be opened again. She said the lawyers also wanted to get the election returns of the field-testing conducted upon the arrival of the PCOS machines.
Reyes claimed his camp did not a have representative when the Board of Election Inspectors conducted the tests in Western Bicutan. But Milana and other witnesses denied his allegation, saying Reyes had more than six watchers when the PCOS machines were opened and tested.
In Barangay Pinagsama, Reyes, accompanied by more than 20 individuals, including lawyer Elmer Toribio, reportedly forced their way into the Kapitan Eddie Reyes Memorial Elementary School, demanding to test the PCOS machines at about 3:30 a.m. also on Tuesday.
Reyes’s camp apparently wanted to go up the second floor of the building at the time, but were blocked by the volunteers who were present at the school compound. As it was already past 3 a.m., there were no election officers and only watchers of the different candidates were within their designated area to guard the PCOS machines.
In a blotter report, volunteer Bernie Genite said Reyes’ people attempted to bribe him. But when he refused, Reyes’ bodyguards, who were carrying firearms, threatened him. A similar situation was reported at the Diosdado Macapagal High School in Barangay Katuparan.
Taguig Mayor Sigfrido Tiñga, now running against Reyes, condemned his opponent’s alleged use of force and called on him to respect the electoral process.
“He is getting exceedingly desperate because he has no chance of winning the elections at all. It is unfortunate that he and his people have resorted to using force and intimidation. This only shows what kind of politicians we are up against here in Taguig,” Tiñga said.
Reyes denied the accusations. He said his lawyers were just there to observe since they were issued IDs and they brought with them a Comelec resolution that states they can show up at the election centers.
“Everybody is invited to watch but our group was not allowed to enter,” Reyes said.
He also denied bribing a volunteer and that his bodyguards were armed. “If these were true, then they should file appropriate cases against us,” Reyes said, adding that they were simply there to watch.
Simply mischievous
Charges of grave threat and malicious mischief were filed yesterday against a son of former mayor Jaime Fresnedi by volunteers of his rival, Mayor Aldrin San Pedro, for threatening to shoot them and throwing bottles of mineral water at them.
The incident happened Monday afternoon in front of Fresnedi’s headquarters at Presnedi Building on National Road in Barangay Putatan.
According to the sworn affidavit of complainants Eduardo Castañeda, Fernando Mendoza, Paulo Roxas, Jumbro Durano and Alex Matabile, they were cruising in a campaign truck along the National Road when the incident occurred.
They said that when the vehicle passed Fresnedi’s headquarters, Jomari Fresnedi, a son of the former mayor, threw a bottled mineral water from the third floor of the building and then hid.
Moments later, he again attempted to throw another bottled mineral water at the complainants from the fourth floor of the building but he was prevented by his companion.
After this, the complainants said Jomari went out of the building and confronted them and swore at them.
The complainants said the bottled mineral water damaged the truck’s speaker system. Traffic enforcer Cesar Macalalad, who was on duty in the area at the time, witnessed the incident.
Meanwhile, Fresnedi said he already talked to his 19-year-old son, who denied throwing bottles of mineral water at San Pedro’s volunteers.
“My son though, admitted that he went down and talked to the volunteers but he did not threaten them. I understand his dislike because the truck was parked in front of our building and played for 40 minutes the campaign jingle of San Pedro’s team,” the former mayor said.
He added his son is still young and may have been offended by San Pedro’s volunteers. Fresnedi said they will study the complaint once they are given a copy. - By Rhodina Villanueva
