One boy reported killed in Cotabato City blast

TACLOBAN CITY – The canvassing of election returns in Calbayog City was suspended Thursday night after unidentified men lobbed a grenade at city hall. Police said no one was hurt in the incident.

Senior Superintendent Asdali Abah, Samar police director, said they have tightened security and placed police units in the province’s first congressional district under red alert to ensure that the canvassing would proceed smoothly.

Abah said the Calbayog canvassing board resumed their work at 10 a.m. yesterday. As of press time, it had completed 79 percent of the canvassing.

“There’s nothing to worry about anyway… everything is under control…. Our troops in Calbayog are closely securing the entire process of canvassing,” Abah said.

“We will not tolerate any groups to disrupt the counting of the elections returns,” he added.

For his part, Chief Superintendent Eliseo de la Paz, Eastern Visayas police director, said they were not discounting the possibility that the grenade throwing was politically motivated.

“We are hoping to arrest the suspects in due time. Yet we are assuring the public a better security while the counting of votes is going on,” he said.

Two days before the May 14 elections, a grenade was hurled at the residence of Samar first district Rep. Reynaldo Uy, damaging some of his vehicles.

Re-electionist Calbayog Mayor Senen Sarmiento is pitted against former congressman Rudolfo Tuazon.