The Philippine National Police on Tuesday announced that it has already logged eight suspected election-related incidents ahead of the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections slated on 30 October.

PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that the cases — including shootings and stabbings — were recorded in the Bicol Region, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Soccskargen.

She added that the incidents will be validated within 10 days by the Joint Peace and Security Coordinating Council using its parameters to determine if these can be considered as ERIs.

"First, we have to determine whether the victim or the suspect is an incumbent official running in the BSKE. We also check whether these are Commission on Elections officers or family members of candidates or identified political supporters of a candidate. Another thing is we would check if these would affect the electoral process," Fajardo said.

"In the past, there were incidents that qualified as ERI because these happened during the election period. Another parameter is if the incident may somehow create a form of political tension that may eventually affect the electoral proceedings," she added.

Fajardo disclosed that out of the eight incidents, one has been validated which happened in Libon, Albay where the victim Alex Repato, reelectionist captain of Barangay San Jose, was shot dead by still unidentified assailants in his house during the first day filing of Certificate of Candidacy last 28 August 2023.

Meanwhile, police are looking into another incident where a candidate was allegedly prevented from filing his CoC in Malabang, Lanao del Sur.

"We have to understand this area under the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. There are special geographic areas we also have to monitor the presence of some threat groups. These are some of the factors we are seriously considering studying to make sure that the deployment we are going to make is right," Fajardo said.