2 mayoralty bet supporters in Antique killed
SAN JOSE, ANTIQUE--Two supporters of a mayoral candidate were killed and another wounded in a shootout in Libertad town in Antique last Friday, according to a belated report of the Commission on Elections.
Lawyer Gil Barcenal, Comelec provincial director said the fatalities and wounded belonged to the camp of Norberto Raymundo Jr. (Lakas-CMD) who is running against Burgos Nicopior (National People's Coalition).
In his report dated May 13, Barcenal said supporters of the two candidates armed with high-powered firearms and wearing bonnets clashed around 10 a.m. in Libertad around 143 km north of the capital town of San Jose.
Barcenal said an alleged ward leader of Raymundo who was carrying a long firearm earlier tried to enter the residential compound of a supporter and a candidate for councilor identified with Nicopior's camp.
The incident prompted both camps to bring in more armed supporters triggering the firefight that lasted for 20 minutes.
Police, however, failed to recover the remains of the fatalities or the wounded as they brought along by their companions. None of the members of the two groups were also arrested, according to the report.
Barcenal said soldiers under the 79IB have been deployed in the area to prevent more violence.
In Tapaz town in Capiz, four unidentified armed men wearing bonnets robbed supporters of the two mayoral candidates who were carrying P69,300 in Barangay Roxas Otso early Sunday, according to a report of the Army's 3rd Infantry Division.
The groups allegedly belonged to mayoral candidates Ronald Exmundo and Rosemarie Gardose.
Senior Supt. Roberto Villanueva, Capiz police director, said in a telephone interview that they are probing deeper into the incident to determine why supporters of contending candidates were traveling together carrying money and were robbed.