Motorbike-riding killers strike anew as Oct. 25 polls draw near

Just two weeks before the village-level polls are held nationwide, two more local officials were felled by motorcycle-riding tandems in separate attacks in Abra province on Friday, belated police and military reports said Sunday. The victims were identified as Arnulfo Callos, 49, a town councilor in San Isidro in Abra and native of Bangued town, and Geronimo Torres, a planning and development officer in Bucay town, also in Abra. The killings occurred just two weeks before the October 25 barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) elections. According to reports, Torres was talking with another man identified as Cirilo Balweg, when two men on board a motorcycle stopped near them. One of the suspects shot Torres several times, while Balweg was hit by a stray bullet and is recuperating at the Abra Provincial Hospital. In the other attack, Callos was on his way to bring his child to school in Bangued when he was shot dead with a caliber .45 handgun several times by one of two motorcycle-riding men, who immediately fled after the shooting. (See: Abra town councilor wanted haircut, shot dead instead) A task force has been created to solve the latest Abra killings, with investigators looking at the shooting incidents’ possible link to the forthcoming elections. Abra has been placed under tight watch due to previous election-related killings and violence, with at least 46 barangays in 14 towns included in the election watch list.
On Saturday, Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang of Licab town in Nueva Ecija, who reportedly intended to run for barangay captain, was also shot dead by motorcycle-riding men while he was jogging. (See: Nueva Ecija vice mayor shot dead while jogging) Metro Manila police have meanwhile clamped down on motorcycle-riding tandems, especially at night. Radio dzBB's Denver Trinidad reported the Metro Manila police have also increased the number of checkpoints to prevent troublemakers from disrupting the polls. Metro Manila police spokesman Senior Superintendent Dionardo Carlos said police teams manning checkpoints have been instructed to flag down tandems riding on motorcycles, and search them for weapons or explosives. Carlos said most of the added checkpoints will be placed along major thoroughfares of Metro Manila. He said police do not want to take the chance that motorcycle-riding men could be involved in attempts to threaten or kill candidates in the October 25 elections. Last week, dzBB reported police in Quezon City have started deploying female police teams to man checkpoints. The female police teams had all-female Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) teams as backup. Police have been conducting checkpoint operations since the election period started last September 25. The checkpoint operations also aim to enforce a gun ban. Philippine National Police chief Director General Raul Bacalzo earlier announced that it is studying implementing 24-hour nationwide checkpoint operations as the October 25 elections approach. (See: Cops considering 24-hour nationwide checkpoint operations)—With Jerrie M. Abella and Joel Nueva/JV, GMANews.TV