| Injured | Killed |
|---|---|
| 12 | 5 |
Date: 11 May 2010
Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/network/5-killed-12-wounded-ambush
DAVAO CITY – Violence related to the polls continue with five people killed and 12 others wounded when communist rebels ambushed a group of poll officials and soldiers in Compostela Valley Tuesday.
Police authorities also caught a village official of Sta. Maria town in Pangasinan province in possession of 10 assorted firearms and ammunition few hours after the voting was closed Monday night.
A grenade was also lobbed at a school building used as a polling center in a remote village of Ubang, Capalonga, Camarines Norte on Tuesday dawn, according to a military report.
Captain Manuel Garcia, spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said the fatalities in the ambush in Maragusan, Compostela Valley include a poll watcher, two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu).
The Police Regional Office in Davao Region identified the dead poll watcher as Mercedita Negro.
Garcia said a group of communist rebels fired at a convoy of vehicles carrying Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to the Maragusan town proper for canvassing.
Garcia added that nine soldiers and three civilians were also wounded in the latest New People’s Army (NPA) attack at around 9 a.m. in Sitio Mangga while a military team was securing the retrieval of election paraphernalia from Barangay Mahayahay.
The wounded civilians were poll watchers Lita Tablingon and Mila Restauro, while another one, Darwin Obillo, was just hitching for a ride. The wounded were rushed to the Maragusan district hospital.
“No other armed groups would do such attack except the NPA. Political groups signed a peace covenant for a peaceful and orderly election,” Garcia said.
He called on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct a thorough probe on this election-related violence.
“We also urge human rights group Karapatan to condemn this deplorable attack on soldiers and innocent civilians, and join us in calling for an investigation,” Garcia said.
The Commission on Elections has identified Maragusan as one of the seven areas in the election watchlist in Compostela Valley province together with the towns of Compostela, Laak, Maragusan, Monkayo, New Bataan, and Pantukan.
Another poll related violence was the arrest of a town official of Sta. Maria, Pangasinan in Ilocos Region for having in possession assorted firearms and ammunition.
Pangasinan Provincial Police Director Percival Barba identified the suspect as Arnold Cabanayan, 36, an ex-officio town councilor and barangay chairman of San Alejandro, Sta. Maria town.
Prior to his arrest, Cabanayan and unidentified companions were reported to be harassing poll clerks of several election precincts at the San Vicente Elementary School in Sta. Maria.
Cabanayan’s companions were able to elude arrest when elements of the Police Public Safety Mobile Company headed by Superintendent Ronald Gayo arrived at the scene.
However, lawmen caught up with the suspect while he was already in the driver’s seat of Hyundai Grace Van that was parked in front of the elementary school.
Though he introduced himself as a town official, he was nevertheless arrested when lawmen, using a flashlight, saw assorted firearms inside his vehicle.
A town councilor in Sulu province was also arrested for violating the election gun ban.
Western Mindanao Command spokesperson Steffani Cacho identified the arrested official as 39-year-old Naser Sappayani, a councilor in the town of Tapul in Sulu.
A caliber .45 pistol with 11 live ammunition was recovered from Sappayani’s possession.
Meanwhile, unidentified men lobbed a grenade at a school building used as a polling center in a remote village of Ubang, Capalonga, Camarines Norte on Tuesday dawn.
Major Harold Cabunoc, Army’s 9th Infantry Division spokesman, said some people were still casting their votes in Necio-Olila Elementary School when the grenade explosion rocked the polling center, causing panic and fear among the voters and poll watchers.
Cabunoc said Alvin Ibasco, 27, suffered shrapnel wounds on his leg as a result of the incident. The victim was immediately rushed to a local clinic for first aid treatment and is declared by attending physicians as “in good health condition”. ( Gigie Arcilla-Agtay with report from BOT of Sun.Star Davao/VR/Sunnex)