Saturday, May 08, 2004
3 dead, 2 hurt in pre-election violence (4:15 p.m.)
BAGUIO -- Three supporters of a local official candidate were killed in a shootout in Luzon early Saturday, the government's election watchdog said.
The dawn firefight in the remote town of Cervantes left two supporters of Vice Mayor Rufino Amilao and an unidentified man dead, provincial Commission on Elections officer Joel Gines told reporters.
One of Amilao's sons and a second relative were wounded in the clash with supporters of incumbent mayor Benjamin Maggay, Gines said.
The vice mayor is seeking the mayoralty in Cervantes in Monday's vote.
Before the Cervantes clash, at least 88 people had been killed in the run-up to the general elections. The authorities have blamed intense rivalries for local executive posts as well as communist guerrilla attacks for the violence. AFP |
