GAPAN CITY – The Nueva Ecija Police Provincial Office (NEPPO) has deployed seven policemen to maintain the peace and order at the vicinity of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) office here over the weekend as registration of voters was stopped for almost two days after a brother of Mayor Ernesto Natividad allegedly offended an election officer.
Natividad said he has yeto talk with his brother, identified as Romeo Natividad, after the “unfortunate incident” but said it could have happened if only the Comelec officials acted on his complaint against the chief of the local election office, Belen Villasis De Vera.
In a complaint before the police, election officer II Herbert Santiago said he was attending to registrants at about 2p.m. Wednesday when Natividad with a gun tucked on waist confronted him and hurled invectives.
Accompanied by unnamed bodyguards, Natividad who is also called Miong or Master, allegedly told him: “namumuro ka na” He said the suspect then grabbed him by the neck and was about to punch him when restrained by his aides. Natividad then left the office.
Santiago said he was taken aback by the incident.
De Vera, on the other hand, considering the safety of his men decided to order the suspension of the registration and transported registration machines to the Comelec provincial office in Cabanatuan City .
The incident reportedly stemmed from a complaint from some registrants who found the process too strict for them. The registrants went to the mayor’s office for help prompting the mayor’s brother to rush to the Comelec office which is located at the 2nd floor of the city hall.
The mayor’s office is at the ground floor.
“But there should never be bodily contact,” said De Vera, saying her office never played bias against any party. She said they have established requirements for registration and the same is observed for every registrant.
But the local chief executive said the Comelec, where relatives of Vice Mayor Christian Tinio employ, has been favoring the latter.
Tinio, son of former Vice Gov. Oscar Tinio, is reportedly eyeing the mayoralty post against Natividad’s wife in 2010.
Santiago said he has no reason to be biased.
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