MANILA -- Quezon City Acting Mayor Joy Belmonte said Friday she is against a proposal to declare Quezon City as an election hotspot following the recent killing of Barangay Bagong Silangan chairperson Crisell “Beng” Beltran.
Belmonte said putting the city on the list of election hotspots in the country is “premature” since the city police is still investigating all possible motives behind Beltran's murder.
“I don’t think our city should be declared as an election hotspot. I think that is premature and it will only cause panic. It will only cause our people to doubt the integrity of our local government and our police force,” she said in an interview with reporters.
Belmonte noted that the incident should not yet be considered as politically-motivated as other possible angles have been identified as the investigation progresses.
“Just like what NCRPO [National Capital Region Police Office] chief Guillermo Eleazar said, it is election-related only because it occurred in the election period. Many people think that when we say it is an election-related incident, it is politically-motivated already. No, they are two different things," she said.
Belmonte also urged the public to stay vigilant, saying the perpetrators could exploit the election period to commit crimes and then connect the incident to politics.
She assured the public that the city government will work closely with the police to ensure the safety and security of residents.
Beltran was shot by armed men riding-in-tandem along J.P. Rizal St. near Gate 3 of Filinvest 2 Village in Barangay Bagong Silangan on Wednesday noon. She was declared dead on arrival at the FEU Hospital in Quezon City.
Beltran was a congressional candidate for the 2nd district of Quezon City in the May 13 mid-term elections. (PNA)
