Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 30) – Two persons were killed and at least four were wounded in a shooting in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao del Norte about an hour before voting began on Monday for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), police said.
Police said a manhunt is on for four suspects.
Comelec Chairman George Garcia mentioned another shooting in Butig, Lanao del Sur, but did not give details. He said the area is not included in the “red category” of election hotspots.
Red is the highest classification for what Comelec calls “areas of concern” It means threats — such as cases of suspected election-related violence, existence of intense political rivalry, and possible employment of partisan armed groups — may warrant placing them under Comelec control.
Guns were also fired in the air in two barangays in Tuburan, Basilan while voting was ongoing, Comelec citizen arm Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) said. There were no casualties, it added.
Fr. Dave Procalla, PPCRV regional coordinator for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), said authorities added security forces in the two barangays.
“Gunfire can still be heard and if sustained, may lead to stoppage of election proceedings in the area,” Procalla said in a statement.
As of Oct. 20, the Philippine National Police classified at least 361 villages nationwide under the red category. Around 70% of these are in BARMM.
