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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Mindanao devider 2 senior citizens die in poll watchers' orientation in Zamboanga City

2 senior citizens die in poll watchers' orientation in Zamboanga City

Published May 11, 2025 03:14 pm
ZAMBOANGA CITY – Two senior citizens died when thousands of people mobbed an election watchers’ orientation by the Lakas-CMD here on Friday, May 9.
Police identified the fatalities as Abelardo Trinidad Solamillo, 65, a tricycle driver, and Norma Narawi Anuddin, 80.
Investigation disclosed the two senior citizens experienced difficulty in breathing when the venue in a local hotel became overcrowded.
Medics provided first aid and rushed them to a local hospital but they were declared dead on arrival.
Videos posted online showed several people being attended to by first aid responders or being brought to ambulances for fainting, dizziness, and difficulty in breathing during the gathering.
Police said 10 individuals were reported injured.
Lakas-CMD Zamboanga issued a statement on Saturday attributing the overcrowding incident to Rep. Khymer Olaso, standard-bearer of Team Olaso and Nacionalista party candidate. Olaso accused Lakas-CMD of using the orientation as a payout for voters.
Together with the statement was a video of Olaso instructing voters to go to the different venues to receive the supposed payout.
This reportedly resulted in thousands of voters flocking the venues where the orientations were being conducted.
“The group led by Olaso, together with their media cohorts, intentionally painted the event as a payout for voters and even blatantly called on hapless people to accept the alleged pay, preying on people’s desperation to fit their twisted narrative of vote buying where none exists,” said the Lakas-CMD statement.
Police dispersed a crowd in one of the venues while telling those gathered to leave the place as no payout is being conducted.
Olaso has yet to issue a statement as of posting time.

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