Van full of alleged ‘flying voters’ mugged in Maguing

MARAWI CITY (MindaNews / 04 May) — A van full of alleged “flying voters” was stopped and mugged by unidentified persons in Maguing town, Lanao del Sur as  troops  and policemen started deploying over the weekend to the 20 towns and this city which have been declared by the Commission on Elections as “areas of. concern” in the May 12 mid-term senatorial and local elections.

Lanao del Sur province has 39 towns and one city, Marawi. 

The latest electoral violence in Lanao del Sur happened on Thursday but was reported only last Saturday as the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on peace, Reconciliation and Unity (Opapru) gathered Army and  Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders  at the Army’s 103^rd Infantry Brigade headquarters here. 

Sergeant  Aminola Ugarinan said unidentified men stopped the Toyota white van with plate number NCF 2218  carrying 20 alleged “flying voters” in Barangay Batobato last Thursday.

“Flying voters” refer to residents outside the town but are registered there as voters. It is not clear why the van passengers were suspected as ‘flying voters’ when the May 12 election is still a week away.

“Allegedly, the suspects opened the driver’s door, pulled out the driver and boarded the vehicle,” Ugarinan said in his report. He said the police have yet to make an arrest.

Ugarina said the suspects mauled the victims one by one, took all their mobile phones and fled before the policemen arrived. 

Ray Sumalipao,  director of the Bangsamoro Electoral Office (BEO), ordered further investigation on the mugging incident.

The 20 towns declared as “areas of concern” by the Comelec are: Bacolod Kalawi, Balindong Watu, Bayang, Binidayan, Buadipuso Buntog, Butig, Lumbaca-Unayan, Maguing, Malabang, Marantao, Marogong, Masiu, Mulondo, Piagapo, Pualas, Saguiaran, Sultan Dumalundong. Tamparan, Tubaran, Tugaya. The other area of concern is Marawi City.  (Froilan Gallardo / MindaNews)