Four individuals were killed and 12 others were wounded in separate election-related incidents in the May 12 mid-term elections, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Among the fatalities were two individuals who were shot dead in Barangay Mambulac, Silay City, Negros Occidental, where eight others were also injured. Police said a manhunt is underway to track down the suspects behind the attack.
In a separate incident in Lanao del Sur, a municipal council candidate from Bayang town and his brother were gunned down by still unidentified assailants.
Meanwhile, in Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur, two people suffered injuries after being assaulted by followers of opposing political groups.
Two additional individuals were injured when gunfire erupted near a polling center in Bangued, Abra, triggering panic among voters. The victims were quickly transported to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Aside from these violent incidents, the Philippine National Police (PNP) also recorded one robbery case in Northern Mindanao and a fire incident in Metro Manila. In the Bangsamoro region, authorities noted suspected cases of flying voters and delays caused by problems with automated counting machines.
Despite these disruptions, PNP chief General Rommel Francisco Marbil maintained that the May 12 midterm elections were “generally peaceful.”