By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Incumbent Moises Padilla Mayor Magdaleno Peña yesterday detailed what transpired during his meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte when the latter visited the municipality earlier this week.

According to Peña, they briefly discussed the recent killings in the town, along with retired military members who were earlier murdered by the New People’s Army (NPA).

He also talked about the family of incumbent Vice Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo as a means of providing the president with an understanding of the town’s “political scenario.”

Peña explained, the Garcia family has been involved in illegal drug use. He also reiterated claims that the family has a history of killing each other.

The mayor also pointed out, he financed Garcia-Yulo’s candidacy after losing two previous elections until she won as mayor in 2013.

Peña said he instructed Garcia-Yulo to eradicate drugs in the town and eliminate the NPA; however, he alleged she took control of the local drug trade and claimed the army did not know where the NPA was located.

The mayor then claimed he gave Garcia-Yulo a “second chance” in 2016, when he ran as mayor and she contested the vice mayoral post. He told the president, as part of his mandate, he fought against illegal drugs and the NPA in the town but the vice mayor “got in the way” when he discovered, of the 18 drug dealers in town, nine were allegedly employed by the vice mayor.

Peña also insisted he had no part in the recent murders of Garcia-Yulo’s relatives, Mark and Michael Garcia. He also detailed how Moises Padilla Town Councilor Jolomar Hilario was killed at the hands of the NPA.

The mayor also took the opportunity to present the gains made in Negros, including his anti-drug efforts and the arrest of NPA official Ka Frank Fernandez.

Earlier this week, Duterte issued a warning against those who interfere with the democratic process.

“This is a democracy,” he affirmed. “This is an exercise of the right of the people to choose their leader.”

“When you start to break rules, that’s when it starts to magka-leche-leche (Once the rules are broken, things become chaotic),” he added. “Sundin mo lang ‘yung batas at walang problema (Follow the rules and there’s no problem).”

Duterte also urged the PNP and AFP to remain neutral during the election period./DGB, WDJ