• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Commission on Elections (Comelec) will put a spotlight on Silay City, Negros Occidental during the conduct of the 2025 synchronized Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (BSKE) elections, particularly in the vote-buying context.
Commissioner Ernesto Maceda Jr., who chairs the poll body’s Committee on Kontra Bigay, said the fatal shooting incident on May 12 was related to vote-buying.
“We will not forget of what happened in Silay, because what had happened in Silay, happened in a vote-buying context,” Maceda said in a press conference in Bacolod City on Monday.
Two persons died while seven others were injured as they were believed to be keeping watch on a planned vote buying in front of a political headquarters in the morning of the election day.
Charges for murder and frustrated murder have been filed in court against Lantad village chairman Arnie Benedicto and three others.
“I think the citizens there were more vigilant, in defense of their prerogatives, and they were watching or guarding against the vote buying that was going to happen,” he added.
Maceda said “because of that context, it was bitter sweet. Hindi natuloy ang vote buying, but it cost the lives of some people.”
“What we will do, in order to honor, or not forget their sacrifices, we will make sure that in the BSKE, in the area where this happened, we will focus a spotlight on that, to ensure that it will not happen again,” he said.
Maceda joined Comelec Chairman George Erwin Garcia in the conduct of post- election assessment in Negros Island Region (NIR) this week.
Garcia said he is hoping that the Silay incident would serve as a valuable lesson for the entire NIR.
“I hope the case that happened in Silay would be a learning lesson. Not just in the barangay but in the entire NIR and definitely, there is a case. Therefore, we will handle the case properly and hope we will be able to resolve the case immediately,” he added. | GB
