PNP says 20 persons killed in runup to barangay elections

May 4, 2018

Twenty persons have been killed in 15 incidents allegedly related to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Friday. The incidents were recorded from April 14 to May 1 in 10 regions, according to the PNP election monitoring center. Majority of the fatalities were  in Soccsksargen (South Cotabato, Cotabato City, North Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangai and General Santos City) region  with five followed by the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) with four, Eastern Visayas with three  and two in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) region. The regions of Caraga, Cordillera, Davao, Bicol, Western Visayas and Central Luzon had one fatality each. Five people were also wounded during the same period, the PNP said. Of the fatalities, six are barangay captains followed by five village councilors, one barangay watchman and and two candidates while the remaining six are civilians. PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde directed their field commanders to send more additional police personnel in areas considered as poll hotspots. “If there is a need, they can deploy additional people there,” he said in a news briefing in Baguio City. The PNP earlier revealed 5,744 barangays, excluding those in Metro Manila, in its poll watchlist. The PNP said a total of 238 people were arrested for violating the nationwide gun ban. DMS