6 dead, 12 hurt in attack on election convoy in ComVal

Six people were killed while 12 others were wounded Tuesday when communist rebels attacked a convoy carrying election paraphernalia in Compostela Valley in southern Philippines. Killed in the ambush were four government soldiers, a board of election inspector, and a poll watcher, according to Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno, spokesman of the Armed Forces’ Task Force Honest, Orderly and Peaceful Elections. “They were on their way to bring back—with the BEIs and the watchers—the election paraphernalia to Poblacion Maragusan for canvassing," said Nepomuceno, adding that those wounded were nine soldiers and three poll watchers. The attack by the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels occurred at about 8:50 a.m. at the vicinity of Sitio Manga in Barangay Mahayahay in Maragusan town.

The Philippine Army immediately condemned the ambush. "This attack only manifests the NPA's treacherous nature wherein they do not discriminate their targets and attack even non-combatants and soldiers performing election-related duties," said Army spokesman Lt. Col. Ernesto Torres. "This is an outright disregard for human life and a grave attempt to jeopardize the country's democracy. The Philippine Army vows to bring the perpetrators (to) the bar of justice," he added. Nepumoceno said they have recorded 101 election-related violent incidents since the start of the election period last Jan. 10. These incidents resulted to 32 fatalities and 45 casualties. Of the 101 incidents, 19 occurred on election day where five people were killed while four others were wounded. The military leadership placed all its units to red alert—the highest in their three-tiered alert level scheme—last April 30 in preparation for the May 10 elections. It will be downgraded to blue alert on Wednesday. —KBK, GMANews.TV