Mayoralty bet in Oriental Mindoro abducted on eve of elections

A mayoralty candidate in a town in Oriental Mindoro was seized Sunday by armed men on the eve of election day, a military official said. Provincial military commander Col. Carlos Quita told GMANews.TV that Erwin Maravilla, the incumbent vice mayor of San Teodoro town, was seized by four motorcycle-riding men in a highway in the town about 8:30 p.m. Sunday. The suspects, wearing bonnets, reportedly halted Maravilla’s car and smashed its glass windows before abducting the victim, Quita said. Maravilla's two aides were tied up according to Quita, but it is unclear whether they were also abducted. The suspects scampered towards the municipality of Baco when a civilian in a motorcycle approached the scene. No suspects or motives have been identified yet, but Quita said the abduction is “likely" to be politically motivated. He added the local police and military are now conducting pursuit operations. Maravilla is running as town mayor under Liberal Party against Lakas-Kampi-CMD’s Apollo Feraren. —Jerrie Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV