COTABATO CITY: Three people were killed and 15 others were wounded during a shootout in front of a polling centre in Barangay Bagua 2 here shortly before midnight Sunday, the eve of the historic Parliamentary Elections (BPE) in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) yesterday.
The incident occurred in front of the Datu Usman Mampen Elementary School, the Philippine News Agency (PNA) reported, citing Captain Steffi Salanguit, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office – Bangsamoro Autonomous Region.
“Before the shooting, two explosions rocked the city on Sunday night, which left one person critically wounded,” Salanguit said in a statement yesterday.
Initial police investigation showed the victim, identified as Zainudin Macabuat, was carrying the explosive that prematurely went off at 8 pm near a school in Barangay Mother Kalanganan, Cotabato City.
Another blast occurred in Barangay Rosary Heights 10 at 9 pm, but nobody was hurt.
At 5 pm, a strafing incident occurred in the same village where no one was hurt.
In the Barangay Bagua 2 shooting, Salanguit said the fatalities and wounded victims remained unidentified.
“Initial investigation showed that two groups of men gathered in front of the school when an altercation occurred. Both were supporters of political parties,” Salanguit said.
Police have yet to determine what triggered the shooting and who the culprits were. Police recovered empty shells for .45-calibre and 9mm pistols.
Police and military authorities remained on alert for Monday’s BARMM polls. – BERNAMA
