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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider CHR assails rise in barangay violence months before elections

CHR assails rise in barangay violence months before elections

Published Mar 20, 2023 04:13 am
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) has raised alarm over the increasing incidents of killings of village officials months before the barangay elections in October. It cited the killings last March 14 of Barangay Chairman Mario DelfinTunday and his wife in Asturias, Cebu, and Barangay Chairman Hadji Basit Zangkala in Shariff Aguak town in Maguindanao del Sur. Based on reports from its initial probe, the CHR said that spouses Tunday were on their way home on their motorcycle when two men, also on motorcycle, shot them. In the second case, Zangkala was inside his car and waiting for his wife in Shariff Aguak town when a man walked up to his vehicle and shot him several times. Whether the killings were related to one another or they were politically motivated, the CHR said these acts of violence undermine social order and the rule of law. It echoed the message aired by Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Garcia, who warned against aspiring candidates resorting to violence in order to boost their chances during the upcoming conduct of barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in October 2023. The Comelec has decided to pursue legal remedies against those who commit these violent attacks, specifically barring them from seeking elective posts. In the same vein, the CHR called on the government to take necessary measures to hasten investigations and hold accountable perpetrators. For its part, the CHR said that its offices in the Visayas and Mindanao have launched their independent motu proprio (on their own) investigations. It emphasized that free, fair, and non-violent elections are essential components of democratic societies. "Violence that may be related to politics threatens the credibility and legitimacy of electoral processes. The climate of fear and intimidation can likewise deter citizens from exercising their right to participate altogether," the CHR warned.
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