Poll officer, 2 others hurt in Lanao poll-related ambush

An election officer and two others were hurt after they were ambushed by still unidentified men in Lanao del Norte on Thursday morning, a military official said. Pangalian Lumabao, election officer of Tangkal town, was injured after the vehicle he was riding was attacked by unidentified armed men while crossing the boundary of Kolambugan and Tangkal towns in Lanao del Norte at 8 a.m. Thursday, 1st Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Romeo Lustestica said. The military official identified the two other casualties as Timbang Batingolo and Abdulla Cauntangan. Lustestica said that the attack on the poll official is likely to be connected to the upcoming barangay elections on October 25. “Yes, it is election-related. Mismong election officer ang naambus eh (It was precisely the election officer who was ambushed)," he told reporters in a phone interview. He added that Lumabao is currently facing extortion complaints before the local peace and order council for allegedly charging P300 for every person who filed their candidacy for barangay captain in his area, and even from nearby provinces. “As reported in the provincial peace and order council meeting, this particular election officer was accepting registrants from other provinces, so somehow we can classify this as election-related," he said. Lustestica likewise said that pursuit operations have been launched against the armed men who ambushed Lumabao’s vehicle. Kolambugan and Tangkal towns are traditional hotspots during elections, according to the military official.—Andreo C. Calonzo/JV, GMANews.TV