By Ferdinand Patinio | Philippine News Agency
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Wednesday condemned the killing of a former village chief who is running for vice mayor in South Cotabato province.
Comelec Chairperson George Garcia expressed hope that the perpetrators behind the murder of Jose Osorio, a former captain of Barangay Bukay Pait in Tantangan town, would be brought to justice as soon as possible.
“Sana hindi ito election-related. Therefore, nanawagan po tayo sa Department of (the) Interior and Local Government (DILG), [at] sa Philippine National Police (PNP) na agad sana maaresto ang mga responsible dito, upang maipakita natin sa kababayan natin na kahit walang election period, pwede maaresto mga ganyang klase ng kriminal,” Garcia said in an interview on the sidelines of the second day of the 1st National Convention of Election Officers held at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
He also noted that the Comelec has no power to place any area under its control at this time because the election period only starts on Jan. 12, 2025.
“It is unfortunate that since the start of the filing of candidacy for the elections, everything is now perceived to be election-related. Outside of the election period, we cannot put any area of the country under Comelec control or classify an area as an area of concern. All of these are law enforcement issues,” he added.
He, meanwhile, assured that the Comelec would enforce its powers and use its resources to prevent violence once the election period begins.
Osorio was found dead inside the kitchen of his eatery on Monday morning.
Police reports said neighbors heard gunshots on Sunday night but they ignored it.
Relatives of the 58-year-old victim said Osorio had no known enemies. The police are considering personal grudges or election-related motives as possible angles in the investigation.Â