Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, October 26) — Authorities in Leyte confirmed an election-related violence, while verifying another shooting that may be related as well to next week’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan polls.
Provincial police chief PCol Erwin Portillo said police listed 11 shooting incidents since the beginning of the poll period, but most of these were classified as personal grudges.Police validated the first election-related violence in the killing of barangay kagawad Jenny dela Peña on Sept 7 in Brgy Tag-abaca, Leyte town. Portillo said charges have been filed against the suspect.
Authorities are verifying another possible poll-related case in the shooting of a 19-year-old Sangguniang Kabataan candidate in Mataloto on Oct. 22.
The regional police office has sent more personnel to all five police stations in the third district made up of the towns of Calubian, Leyte, Villaba, Tabango, and San Isidro.
The Regional Joint Security Control Center has classified Villaba and Leyte towns as “areas of concern” because of a history of election-related incidents
