A quartet of explosions were recorded in Cotabato City and a neighboring Maguindanao town between 10pm last night and 7:30am as Filipinos prepared to head to the polls in today’s midterm elections, police said.
Two 40mm rifle grenades fired in succession exploded about 30 meters from the compound of the Cotabato City Hall in Barangay (Village) Rosary Heights just past 10pm last night, The Philippine Daily Inquirer reported.
Three hours later, at about 1am, another fragmentation grenade exploded near the municipal hall in Datu Odin Sinsuat, Maguindanao, ABS-CBN News reported.
There was a third blast reported at 7:30am today, also near Datu Odin Sinsuat, Manila Bulletin reported.
No one was reported injured in the explosions.
Maj. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commanding general of the 6th Infantry Division, said the blasts were likely an attempt to scare voters into not turning up at polling stations.
Police Colonel Michael Lebanan, Cotabato City police director, also said the blasts were “clearly aimed at sowing fear among the electorate.”
Electoral contests in the Philippines have always been bloody. Dozens, including candidates and their supporters, are routinely killed in the fierce competition for posts, which are a source of wealth in a nation with deep poverty.
Police are on high alert to safeguard balloting as the bloody trend continued this year, with 20 killed and 24 wounded in election-related violence in the run-up to the vote, according to an official count.
Additional reporting by AFP
