UPDATE: 5 dead, 10 injured in Maguindanao poll-related violence

From the Philippine News Agency (May 9): UPDATE: 5 dead, 10 injured in Maguindanao poll-related violence

At least five persons were confirmed killed while 10 others wounded so far in Maguindanao election-related violence for the past 72 hours, the Army’s Sixth Infantry Division (6ID) reported.

“Only last night (May 8), two separate explosions caused by rifle-launched M-79 grenades rocked the public market of Datu Unsay town, killing one and wounding four others,” Capt. Jo-anne Petinglay, 6ID spokesperson, said.Petinglay said they have yet to obtain the identity of the fatality and those injured in the twin explosion.

Subsequently, she said bonnet-wearing armed men gunned down a local resident, identified as Bayan Buisan around 2 a.m. today (May 9) near a voting precinct in Talitay town.

Police is still investigating the case, she noted.

Petinglay said the Talitay incident was followed by another shooting incident in nearby Guindulungan town of Unsay Usop, a local voter caught in the rumble between two political factions around 7 a.m. today.

She said the number of casualties as per 6ID records included the death of a nine-year-old girl on Saturday night (May 7) and wounding of three others during a mortar attack in Barangay Damalibi, Shariff Aguak, Maguindanao.

Amid the series of occurrence, Petinglay said the polling exercise Monday remains generally peaceful considering that the number of civilian casualties remain low compared to past elections in the province.

“The 6ID together with police forces in Central Mindanao are really trying our best to uphold peace amid all these unfortunate incidents,” she stressed.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=883549