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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/13 May) – One poll watcher was killed and four others were injured in when unidentified gunmen ambushed their vehicle in Panglima Estino town in Sulu minutes before the start of the mid-term elections Monday.
Col. Jose Johriel Cenabre, commander of the Second Marine Brigade, said the incident took place around 6:45 a.m. Monday in the boundary of Barangays Kamih Pungod and Tiptipun.
Cenabre said the victims were aboard a vehicle en route to Barangay Tiptipun to render election duty when unidentified gunmen ambushed them.
The lone fatality was identified as Mardimer Sabri and those wounded as Norhati Mahamud, Nurhima Mahamud, Nho Asuncion and Arden Ardunnajar.
Panglima Estino Mayor Munib Estino said over RMN-Zamboanga that the victims were poll watchers of his son, Ben, a candidate for mayor.
Estino, who is on his third term of office, did not seek any elective position and has fielded his son as an independent candidate for mayor.
The mayor’s son is running against his uncle, Kadil Estino, who had also served as the town mayor in previous years.
Cenabre said troops were deployed to prevent an escalation of violence. (MindaNews)