The Commission on Elections (Comelec) revealed on Sunday that the shooting of an election officer’s vehicle in Sulu — which resulted in the death of one person — may be considered election-related violence.

This comes after Comelec chairperson George Erwin Garcia said Sulu Provincial Election Supervisor Julie Vidzfar herself suggested a possible link to the upcoming 2025 elections.

“She is saying that it seems to be election-related because she rejected some things from some politicians there,” Garcia said in a radio interview.

“That’s our lead and that’s what we’re looking into, especially in the investigation being done by the Philippine National Police,” he added.

Vidzfar was unharmed in the Saturday morning ambush in Zamboanga City, but her sibling, who was with her in the vehicle, died from a gunshot wound to the head. The unidentified gunmen fled the scene.

This was the third incident of violence against Comelec field personnel since the filing of certificates of candidacy in October, Garcia said, adding that the incident may warrant declaring the area as an “area of concern” or placing it under Comelec control.

To recall, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo previously stated that an area can be declared an “area of concern” or placed under Comelec control under certain conditions, including election-related violence, intense political rivalry, or the presence of private armed groups.

“In an area, if someone is not satisfied with what you are doing, especially when they’re planning something bad and you stopped it, they will really find a way to get what they want,” Garcia said.

“I will not change my provincial election supervisors,” he added. “I maintain that they should be in their respective areas because they know the place. If the bad politicians can’t have them replaced, they would rather have them killed just to get their own way.”

Garcia urged the PNP to immediately arrest the perpetrators of the ambush.