Fresh election violence kills 4 in Philippine south

MANILA, May 12 (Reuters) Four people were killed and four wounded in fresh election violence in the Philippines when gunmen ambushed a mayoral candidate in the Muslim south of the mainly Roman Catholic state, a police general said today.

The convoy of a pro-administration candidate came under heavy automatic gunfire in Maguindanao late yesterday, said Joel Goltiao, police chief in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

The candidate's driver was killed in the initial burst of gunfire but three police officers guarding them fought back and killed three of the attackers.

The candidate was wounded in the leg, he said.

''Our initial inquiry showed the attack was election-related,'' Goltiao told reporters, adding investigators were tracking down a group of gunmen behind the attack.

Goltiao said the largest Muslim separatist rebel group in the southern Philippines was known to be active in the area, but there were no indications the Moro Islamic Liberation Front was behind the ambush.

Since the election period began on Jan. 14, national police said about 100 people have died in nearly 120 poll-related incidents of violence across the archipelago.

Bitter ivalry among local politicians, a trigger-happy culture and nearly 40 years of Muslim and communist insurgencies add to election tensions.

But police officials say the level of violence remained low this year compared to previous political contests even if the killings were expected to rise as the balloting on May 14 draws near.

In 2004 presidential elections, 189 died, while in 2001 local polls, 111 people were killed.

Today, soldiers and armed police officers fanned out to half a dozen provinces where violence may erupt during the elections. The campaign period ends on May 12.

Security forces have set up road blocks and checkpoints and raided hideouts of suspected private armies to control movement illegal weapons and prevent violence.

REUTERS SZ RK1135