MANILA, Philippines - Communist rebels shot dead a soldier after attacking a military convoy that was transporting a precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine and other election paraphernalia in Tanay, Rizal Wednesday morning.
The soldiers from the 16th Infantry Battalion were securing the election officers and Smartmatic personnel in transporting the materials from General Nakar town in Quezon when they were waylaid at the village of Sta Ines in Tanay around 8:50 a.m.
Col. Aurelio Baladad, commander of the Army’s 202nd Brigade, said the soldiers fought back against the 10 New People's Army rebels, who withdrew after a 10-minute firefight. He said the soldier died upon arrival at a military hospital in Tanay.
“There was an attempt by the NPA to get the machine. There was a firefight that ensued and we were able to prevent the snatching. They secured the [Commission on Elections] personnel, Smartmatic (personnel) and the election paraphernalia,” he said.
Last Tuesday, NPA rebels ambushed soldiers, election officers and poll watchers transporting election paraphernalia in Compostela Valley, killing four government troops, a board of election inspector and a poll watcher.
Meanwhile, confusion marred the transport of about 60 machines from the house of a Smartmatic technician in San Jose village, Antipolo City to the provincial hub Thursday morning.
Baladad said the machines were not immediately turned over to the representative of the Ace forwarder because of questions on his identity. He said the Ace forwarder personnel was not carrying any ID.
Baladad said soldiers secured the house while verifying the identity of the Ace forwarder personnel. However, he said the issue was later settled and the transportation of the PCOS machines pushed through.
He said a number of protesters gathered in the area due to alleged cheating by the camp of Mayor Nilo Leyble, who was re-elected. “We secured it because there are insinuations of cheating,” he said.
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