COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia on Monday confirmed that the failed assassination of Sulu provincial election officer Vidzfar Julie Amil was election-related.
“The target was really our provincial election officer in Sulu. He himself pinpointed that matter,” said Garcia.
He said the police have come up with leads on the identity of the suspects as well as the “politician” who masterminded the slay try.
Garcia refused to divulge further details on the identity of the politician.
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia answers questions from the media regarding the ambush of Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Vidzfar Julie Amil at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros on Dec. 23, 2024. Garcia called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to dismantle private armies during the election period to avoid further violence. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia answers questions from the media regarding the ambush of Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Vidzfar Julie Amil at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros on Dec. 23, 2024. Garcia called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to dismantle private armies during the election period to avoid further violence. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia answers questions from the media regarding the ambush of Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Vidzfar Julie Amil at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros on Dec. 23, 2024. Garcia called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to dismantle private armies during the election period to avoid further violence. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia answers questions from the media regarding the ambush of Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Vidzfar Julie Amil at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros on Dec. 23, 2024. Garcia called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to dismantle private armies during the election period to avoid further violence. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Commission on Election (Comelec) Chairman George Erwin Garcia answers questions from the media regarding the ambush of Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Vidzfar Julie Amil at the Palacio del Gobernador in Intramuros on Dec. 23, 2024. Garcia called on the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to dismantle private armies during the election period to avoid further violence. PHOTO BY MIKE ALQUINTO
Gunmen on a motorcycle shot at the car of Amil in Zamboanga City last Saturday. He escaped unscathed, but his brother Naser Amil, a 57-year-old former barangay captain who was riding with him, was killed.
Garcia said Amil had rejected a request of the politician because “it would ensure the unequal opportunity for the candidates in certain parts of Sulu.”
Despite the incident, Garcia said the political situation in Sulu remained peaceful, considering that the incumbent is running unopposed in the 2025 elections and only the mayoral posts in four municipalities are being contested.
“The question now is, are we going to replace him (Amil)? No, we will not replace our provincial election supervisor because if we do that, it would appear that the Comelec is a coward and would give a semblance of success to the ambush,” Garcia said.
He said the transfer or retention of a local election officer was always on a case-to-case basis.
“We will always study, always listen to our personnel from the field. If they themselves would ask for their transfer, definitely we will transfer them. But if they ask to remain and say that they’re ready to face the consequence, who are we to stop them,” Garcia said.
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