Six volunteers for the campaign of senatorial candidates under the Otso Diretso slate were killed in a road accident while campaigning in Baguio City.
According to a statement from Otso Diretso, the accident involving a vehicle carrying the volunteers occurred in Suello Village on Tuesday.
The victims were identified as Julia Labi, Adelina Agsaoay, Elizabeth Panis, Richelda Abigar, Josephine Ag-a, and John Roy Passi.
The statement did not provide other details regarding the accident.
Marawi civic leader Samira Gutoc, who is among the eight-man slate, offered condolences to the families of the victims on behalf of her fellow opposition bets.
In related developments:
• Pulse Survey has released its survey showing 14 of the more than 100 party-list groups could get at least one seat up for grabs in the House of Representatives in May’s midterm elections.
The 14 groups secured more than 2-percent voter preference in a March
23 to 27 poll, said Pulse Asia in its report released Thursday.
At the top spot with a preference rating of 8.5 percent is Bayan Muna, which has criticized several policies of President Rodrigo Duterte, including his anti-narcotics crackdown, suspension of peace talks with communist rebels and loans from China.
• An incumbent councilor in Negros Occidental and his brother were killed in an ambush on Thursday morning, according to Benjie Liwanag’s report on Super Radyo dzBB, beamed nationwide.
The victims were identified as Councilor Michael Garcia of Moises Padilla municipality and his brother Mark.
A police report said the victims were ambushed around 11 a.m. by more or less 30 armed men while conducting an election campaign together with their sister, Ella Garcia-Yulo, incumbent vice mayor of Moises Padilla. Garcia-Yulo was unhurt in the ambush.
On second spot was Magsasaka with 6.45-percent voter support, followed by the 6.04-percent preference rating logged by Gabriela, which has also slammed Duterte for supposedly misogynistic remarks.
Ako Bicol was at the 4th spot. Its representative Rodel Batocabe was assassinated at a gift-giving event in Daraga, Albay in December 2018.
A Teacher party-list ranked 5th.
Completing the 14 groups that could get one seat each are: Senior Citizens, Buhay, Akbayan, Amin, An Waray, Kalinga, Anakpawis, Cibac, Angkla, Bayan Muna, Magsasaka, Gabriela, Ako Bicol and A Teacher “each garnered the ceiling of three seats,” said Pulse Asia.
