Commission on Elections control over the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines begins tomorrow, the start of the election period, that ends on June 12, Jessie Suarez, Elections Provincial Supervisor of Negros Occidental, said yesterday.

The election gun ban also begins tomorrow and the filing of certificates of candidacy starts Monday.

The gun ban covers bearing, carrying or transporting firearms or other deadly weapons in public places, including any building, street park, private vehicle or public conveyance, even if one has a license, unless authorized in writing by the COMELEC, he said.

OBSTRUCTION OF
JUSTICE CHARGES WILL BE FILED
DOJ warns coddlers
of wanted cops
BY CARLA GOMEZ

HIMAMAYLAN CITY - Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez yesterday said the continued hiding of the six policemen facing kidnap-slay charges for the death of a former barangay chairman and his two companions in 2003, leads to a presumption that they are "guilty".

The six policemen-respondents in the abduction and killing of former Pahanocoy Brgy. Capt. Eleuterio Salabas and his two companions - Maximo Lomoljo and Ricardo Suganob - on August 30, 2003, - were identified as Chief Inspectors Clarence Dongail and Jimmy Fortaleza, Senior Inspector Jonathan Lorilla, PO2 Allen Winston Hulleza, PO1 Bernard Cimatu and SPO2 Freddie Natividad. "I am wondering why the police cannot arrest them because I was told that some of them are just in Bacolod", Gonzalez said.

Grudge eyed in killing
of brgy captain
BY DONALYN GUERRERO

A personal grudge is being eyed by the police in the killing of a Silay barangay captain who was shot at the fish port in Purok Sibucao, Brgry. Banago, Bacolod City, Thursday, Acting Bacolod City police director, Senior Supt. Ronilo Quebrar, said yesterday.

Police investigation showed no link to politics, but what is being determined is whether there were other persons involved in the shooting of Barangay Balaring Captain Victor Diamante, 53, Quebrar said. Diamante, a fish dealer, was allegedly shot dead by Emiliano Saballa Paes, Jr., alias "Boy Paes", 60, with a gun of unknown caliber. He died on the spot.

Initial reports showed that two men engaged in a heated argument when Paes took a handful of shrimps from Diamante's tub, and this later resulted in the shooting, Quebrar said.