COMELEC reports second shooting incident of BSKE candidate

Commission on Elections chairman George Erwin Garcia announced on Friday that a candidate has been shot in Quezon Province.

Garcia said they have monitored an ambush in General Luna, Quezon.

"We have monitored an ambush in Quezon recently, the barangay chairman was taken in the hospital," Garcia said.

According to the report of the Quezon Police Provincial Office, the identified victim was Ruben Ilagan Pasia, 63, a resident of Barangay Malaya, General Luna, Quezon, and a running candidate for barangay chairman.

This is the second BSKE candidate who has been shot in October. The first victim was running for barangay councilor in Bucay, Abra.

"It's sad because the election is almost two days away. Therefore, the increasing number of violence may not be election-related, other criminals are actually on it. We could not distinguish if it was election-related. What is important is for the police to be alert," Garcia said.

As of 26 October, the COMELEC Anti-Epal Task Force issued 272 show cause orders for illegal campaigning and filed petitions for disqualification against 10 candidates in violation of premature campaigning and three candidates against illegal campaigning.