Injured	Killed
1	1

Date: 04 May 2010
Source: Orlando Dinoy Inquirer Mindanao

MAGSAYSAY, Davao del Sur, Philippines—Unidentified gunmen on Monday evening abducted a village chair identified with the camp of a mayoral candidate here and shot his daughter before fleeing, the police said Tuesday.

Inspector Editho Mandi, Magsaysay police chief, said four armed men barged into the house of San Miguel village chief Alfredo Besinan around 7 p.m. and trained their guns at members of his family.

Mandi said when the armed men made clear that they were looking for Besinan, the village chief immediately presented himself and appealed to them not to harm his family.

While the gunmen were leaving the house with Besinan, a daughter of the official grabbed one of the suspects but she was shot instead.

Sheila Besinan Papas, who recently gave birth, was rushed to a hospital in Digos City due to an injury in her midsection, Mandi said.

Besinan, a staunch supporter of mayoral candidate Arthur Davin, remained missing as of Tuesday.

Around 8 p.m., also on Monday, the house of another Davin supporter, barangay chair Francisco Jose of Dalawinon village, was strafed by unidentified motorcycle-riding men. Luckily, none of the members of the Jose family, who were already sleeping at that time, were harmed, Mandi said.

In Barangay Tacul, armed men also fired their guns near the house of former village chief Panday, also a campaigner for Davin past 8 p.m.

At about the same time, Mandi said armed men also briefly held at gunpoint another Davin supporter in Barangay Poblacion. He was released unharmed, he said.

Mandi said they were still investigating the incidents while efforts to locate Besinan continued.

Davin said the incidents were politically-motivated.

Governor Douglas Cagas said the increasing number of violence in the province as the elections were nearing was already a cause for alarm.

He urged the Commission on Elections to place Davao del Sur under its control.