People Power Volunteer Center condemns renewed attacks on volunteers in Isabela

The People Power Volunteer Center (PPVC) today condemned renewed attacks against volunteer poll watchers for Liberal standard-bearers Senator Noynoy Aquino and Mar Roxas, the latest of which happened in Isabela.

PPVC and Aquino-Roxas Bantay Balota (ARBB) Region II Coordinator Ferdie Domingo reported that five volunteers in Tumauini, Isabela have been severely mauled with the use of long firearms allegedly by Tumauini Mayor Arnold Bautista himself and his police bodyguards.

He said that the young victims—Jessie Cruz, Willy Rosales, Jerry Bariuad, Rosito Manalo and Jaime Lugo—were en route to distribute poll watcher IDs and appointment papers when Mayor Bautista and his group allegedly blocked them, forcibly took away these IDs and appointment papers and mauled them.

The victims are now confined at a hospital in Ilagan, Isablela, with three of them in critical condition. Fortunately, their female fellow volunteer—her name withheld for security reasons—was spared from the mauling, and she will now stand as a witness to a case their volunteers and families will file against Mayor Bautista and company.

PPVC head Dinky Soliman condemned the renewed attacks on Aquino-Roxas volunteers, saying: “Already around 19 of our volunteers and supporters have been killed since the election period started. Is the government waiting for many more among us to get killed or mauled before they act? We hope not,”

“Pero kahit tinatakot, sinasaktan at pinapatay nila kami, hindi natitinag ang aming mga volunteer na aktibong-aktibo sa pagsiguro na mangyayari ang pagbabago pagkatapos ng halalan (But even if they are harassing, hurting and killing us, they will not succeed in intimidating our volunteers who are actively ensuring that change happens after this election),” she stressed.

Tumauini ARBB team leader Ronald Morales reported to Soliman that upon hearing of the unfortunate incident, more volunteers in the town put their feet forward and offered to substitute for their hurt companions.