Explosion, shooting mar Zambo Sur polls

ZAMBOANGA – Two people, including a poll watcher, were wounded after a dynamite explosion and gun attack marred the elections for village officials in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, the police said Tuesday.

Zamboanga Peninsula police information officer Chief Inspector Ariel Huesca said, though, that both incidents did not disrupt the canvassing of ballots.

Huesca said no one was killed or wounded in the dynamite explosion that took place around 7:15 p.m. Monday in the village of White Beach, Pagadian City.

The incident occurred at a swampy area some 60 meters away from the White Beach Elementary School while the canvassing of the ballots was ongoing.

Huesca said the canvassing of ballots was stopped but continued around 9 p.m. after the police assessed the situation.

He said the Pagadian City police theorized that a losing candidate must have initiated the explosion to disrupt the canvassing.

Meanwhile, a gun attack took place around 7:30 p.m. Monday in San Pablo Elementary School in Barangay Poblacion, San Pablo, Zamboanga del Sur. Wounded were Aldon Polo and Muca Ambol.

Huesca said that an unidentified gunman shot Polo, who was on his way out of the polling precinct.

Polo is the poll watcher of his brother who is a candidate for village chief in the nearby village of Bubual, San Pablo.

Ambol, who was standing nearby, was also hit by a stray bullet.

The victims were rushed to Pagadian City for treatment as investigations are underway to identify the suspects of the two incidents.