CRIME SCENE. The house of Mario and Carmelita Fabia in Barangay Kiorao, Kibawe, Bukidnon. The couple was killed on Oct. 30, 2023 by one of the suspects who ran in the polls but failed to capture a village council seat in the area. (Photo courtesy of Kibawe Municipal Police Station)
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Police filed murder charges Friday against two persons accused of killing the in-laws of a winning village chairperson in Kibawe, Bukidnon, in what police said was election-related violence.
In a statement, the Kibawe town police said brothers Rosilo and Cesar Tecson surrendered on Oct. 31, a day after allegedly killing Marion Fabia, 66, and wife Carmelita, 63, inside their house in Barangay Kiorao, Kibawe.
Maj. Marvin Encisio, town police chief, said the Fabias are in-laws of reelected Barangay Kiorao chairperson Jenelyn Tecson-Fabia, who are relatives of the suspects.
Encisio said the two suspects served as village watchmen under Tecson-Fabia, but tensions arose when Rosilo decided to run as village councilor in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Election (BSKE) under the rival of the incumbent chairperson.
Police said when Rosilo failed to get a seat following the counting of ballots on Oct. 30, he and his brother entered the house of the Fabia couple around 11:45 p.m. of the same day and killed them.
The next day, Rosilo surrendered to the local police, while Cesar turned himself in to authorities in the neighboring town of Damulog on Nov. 2.
"The BSKE has been mostly peaceful throughout Kibawe's 23 barangays, and I reiterate what happened in Barangay Kiorao as an isolated case," Encisio said.
Peaceful, orderly
In Misamis Occidental, the police underscored the role of civilian force multipliers in the peaceful BSKE and "Undas" observance.
In a statement on Friday, Col. Cholijun Caduyac, Misamis Oriental Provincial Police Office chief, also said civilian organizations helped the police force monitor and report situations in the cemeteries.
"Together with our force multipliers, we thank ‘Pulis Misamisnon Kauban Mo Volunteers’ and other government agencies and non-governmental organizations and stakeholders for their unwavering dedication," he said.
In Davao City, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) said Friday Undas 2023 had been peaceful in Davao Region and its other areas of responsibility.
In a statement, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, Eastmincom commander, said the troops maintained peace and order in Eastern Mindanao during the observance of All Souls' Day and All Saints' Day.
“Military forces from Eastmincom's Joint Task Forces Agila, Diamond, Haribon, and Seahawk, along with their police counterparts, were deployed to different cemeteries and churches to ensure the security of everyone visiting their departed loved ones,” Almerol said.
"We remain committed to maintaining peace and security in Eastern Mindanao and ensuring that the people are protected from any threats," he added.
Meanwhile, in a press briefing here on Friday, Col. Alberto Lupaz, Davao City police chief, said the Undas 2023 "was very peaceful and very successful."
“For several years that we conducted deployment and the advisories done by the city government, the public knew what to do when it comes to safety and security,” Lupaz said. (PNA)
