Gunmen stop count in Davao town - By Edith Regalado

DAVAO CITY – The canvassing of election returns in Sta. Maria town in Davao del Sur had to be temporarily suspended Tuesday night after unidentified men fired indiscriminately near the municipal building and police station.

Chief Superintendent Andres Caro II, Southern Mindanao police director, said the shooting, which occurred at around 8:30 p.m., prompted the municipal election officers to temporarily suspend the canvassing for an hour to ensure everyone’s safety.

Local police officials have yet to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident. No one was killed or injured.

Meanwhile, in Barangay Manay in Panabo, Davao del Norte, unidentified armed men burned an Isuzu Elf truck loaded with newly harvested bananas.

Reports said two men on a motorcycle flagged down the truck and ordered its driver and passengers to disembark before they started burning the vehicle.

Although the Panabo incident had nothing to do with the elections, Caro said the police were still looking into it since Panabo is a largely banana-producing area where elections have been hotly contested.

Except for the Sta. Maria incident, Caro said there have been no election-related violent incidents in the region.