Poll violence blamed on private armies

Warlords were behind 80 percent of election-related violence, while the rest were committed by the New People’s Army (NPA).

Armed Forces vice chief Lt. Gen. Jose Calimlim told reporters yesterday private armed groups were responsible for 122 of the reported 162 "incidents" during the election period that ended last Monday.

Records showed the NPA was behind 27 other cases, including the killing of Ta-nuan, Batangas Mayor Cesar Platon and Quezon Rep. Marcial Punzalan, Calimlim said.

In Mindanao, the death toll in election-related violence rose to 45 yesterday as 77 people were reported wounded in the region.

Lt. Col. Danilo Servando, Armed Forces Southern Command spokesman, reported that cases of election-related violence rose to 49 in at least six regions in Min-danao.

The fatalities included civilians, political candidates, government soldiers and other armed men.

Servando said three poll watchers in Maguindanao were not kidnapped as earlier reported. He said go- vernment troops remain deployed in areas considered volatile.

The Commission on Elections indefinitely suspended elections in Pantar town in Lanao del Norte following an attempt to replace names in the official list of voters.

In Matanog town in Maguindanao, the poll body declared a failure of elections after Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels fired a rocket at polling precincts last Tuesday, he added.

Servando said elections in the town were postponed to Tuesday, but voters still failed to go to the polls because of the rocket attack by the guerrillas who are followers of a local candidate.

In Basilan, the counting of votes was stopped yesterday after a grenade exploded in the grounds of the Basilan National High School.

Col. Juvenal Narcise, officer-in-charge of the Army’s 103rd Brigade, told reporters yesterday nobody was reported hurt in the explosion that threw voters into panic.

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Leandro Mendoza told reporters yesterday he will inform the National Democratic Front about the NPA’s atrocities.

Mendoza said NPA guerrillas had become "hired killers" for some politicians who wanted to "neutralize" their opponents before the elections.

PNP spokesman Chief Inspector Noli Romana told reporters yesterday at least four people, including a policeman, were killed and 18 were injured on election day. –Christina Mendez, Roel Pareño