Lanao del Sur village chief bet shot dead  

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — A candidate in Kapatagan, Lanao del Sur is the latest victim of election-related violence less than a week before the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections (BSKE).

Kamar Bansil, who was running for village chief in Barangay Sigayan, was in a multicab with his wife Jasmin and son Mammo when they were waylaid yesterday, Col. Robert Daculan, Lanao del Sur police director, said, citing reports reaching his office.

Bansil died at the scene. His wife and son were seriously wounded.

Daculan said witnesses alleged that the  husband of the incumbent barangay captain in Sigayan was behind the attack. The wife of the suspect is seeking reelection.

Meanwhile, 300 additional reserve force personnel in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao will be deployed in Cotabato City following the killing of two candidates for barangay council member in Rosary Heights 2 and their companion on Monday.

Col. Jean. Fajardo, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokersperson, said Marines and police Special Action Force commandos would also be deployed in the city.

Fajardo said the city police recommended that Barangay Rosary Heights 12 be classified either under ”red” or area of grave concern, or ”orange” or area of immediate concern due to the killings.

17,463 AFP men to secure Visayas BSKE

As this developed, Visayas Command (Viscom) chief Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo said 17,463 military personnel would be deployed in the region to help ensure peaceful and orderly polls.

Arevalo said 5,866 would be deployed to Western Visayas, 5,356 to Central Visayas and the rest to Eastern Visayas.

There are 172 election areas of concern in Western Visayas, 51 of them in Negros Occidental.

Viscom had earlier deployed 181 security forces in Negros Oriental, which was placed under the control of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) due to poll-related incidents in previous months.

Meanwhile, 6,500 police cadets were ordered to return to their respective mother units for deployment in the BSKE.

Maj. Gen. Ritchie Posadas, PNP Training Institute director, said classes of cadets taking up junior and senior leadership and officers candidate courses have been suspended.

“They will undergo a seminar by the Comelec to give them final instructions on their duties and responsibilities during the elections,” Posadas said.

He said the police cadets would man information desks and ensure police visibility during the polls. – Emmanuel Tupas, Neil Jayson Servallos, Gilbert Bayoran, Ed Amoros