By Reynaldo E. Andres
Contributor
BADOC, Ilocos Norte—Mayor Maximo D. Cajigal of this town has promised his constituents that he will pursue a clean, honest and peaceful elections this year amid speculations of an impending trouble that would erupt between his group and that of his rivals.
“I have already mobilized the Philippine National Police (PNP) so that all things will go smoothly as we start the political campaign this year,” Mr. Cajigal said, vowing to end the town’s reputation as the most troubled election hot spot in the province for years.
Previous situations have shown that Badoc has become an election “hot spot” in Ilocos Norte amidst reports that it has allegedly become the haven of loose firearms and hired killers.
Police records in 2009 showed a suspected hired killer linked to the murder of Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative (INEC) President Rey Ruiz was gunned down at Brgy. Saud here.
And just after the 2016 national elections, the brother of former Badoc Vice Mayor Thomas Torralba was killed by unidentified gunmen at Brgy. Alogoog about six meters from his residence.
Prior to this incident, the Ilocos Norte Police Office charged Mr. Torralba and his brother Henry for possessing unlicensed weapons and illegal drugs in a complaint filed with the Ilocos Norte Prosecutor’s Office.
The charges emanated from a June 15, 2015 police raid on the homes of the Torralba brothers.
“These incidents are now things of the past and I’m trying our best to restore the dignity of Badoc as one of the most peaceful towns of Ilocos Norte,” Mr. Cajigal said.
The mayor said that aside from the peace and order campaign, he is pursuing development programs that would help his constituents attain livelihood opportunities in line with the town’s “Baro A Badoc” [New Badoc] programs.
Foremost of these is recognition of Badoc as a 99% drug-free municipality based on the records obtained from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in its war against illegal drugs.
“I want to start the development efforts at the grassroots level by giving full support to our farmers,” Mr. Cajigal said as he started giving farm inputs to farmers such as seed stocks, hand tractors, and fertilizers that were purchased from the proceeds of RA 7171.
“I can see that the solution of these social maladies in Badoc is the eradication of poverty by way of helping people help themselves,” the mayor said noting that this year alone, the town tapped experts from the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac City to train fishermen in seaweed production and processing, vermicomposting, organic fertilizer production, and livestock production, among others.
“Last year alone, we have increased the allotment of fund for students’ scholarship from a mere PHP300,000 to PHP640,000 and the implementation of the LGU Centenarian Law that grants PHP20,000 financial help to deserving senior citizens,” Mr. Cajigal explained.