Manila: The police and the military placed all forces on red alert nationwide after two political supporters died, and unidentified armed men bombed a church and seven schools in the southern Philippines ahead of the May 9 poll.

“The order was given by Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ricardo Marquez,” said PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor, adding that the south is an election hot-spot.

The military was placed on red alert level after a bomb packed inside a small vehicle exploded in front of the Evangelical Church on Flores street in Maligaya village, Lamitan City at 9.30pm on Friday, said Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

AL Qaida and Daesh-linked Abu Sayyaf members were suspected to have carried out the bomb attack on the Catholic church as “a diversionary tactic,” said Padilla, adding that joint military and police operations were launched against the Abu Sayyaf in their lairs in the south after they beheaded one Canadian captive and threw his head in a sack in front of the Jolo municipal hall on April 25.

“It was the first time that the church became an object of a bomb attack under my term,” said Father Pascual Benitez who became St. Peter’s parish priest in 2013.

“Let us not drag religion (into this case) and make it appear there is tension between Muslims and Catholics in the southern Philippines. This is the work of evil people. Let us not be carried away by our emotions,” warned Bishop Martin Jumoad of Isabela in the south. He did not say who were responsible for the bomb attack.

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines said there was an attempt to bomb the St. Peter’s Parish in 2010.

Meanwhile, the police launched a pursuit operation after six armed men in black sweatshirts shot to death two supporters of a candidate running for a local position in Santiago town, Agusan del Norte, southern Philippines at 1.30am on Saturday,

Earlier, a bomb went off and destroyed the ceiling and concrete walls of Tambo Elementary School in Tambo village, Sultan Mastura, in the south at 10pm on Thursday.

Unidentified armed men fired rifle grenades at five elementary schools in Dugurungan, Darping, Simuay Seashore, Tariken, and Tuka villages, and a day care centre in Tariken village in Sultan Mastura on April 27.

Reacting to the bombing of schools that were assigned as polling places on May 9, Colonel Earl Badiao, chief of the 603rd Infantry Brigade, said, “Army personnel were deployed as peacekeepers in all schools in the south to prevent similar attacks, and to ensure the election will push through without anyone being hurt.”

“The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not yet placed Sultan Mastura under Comelec control. Not all school buildings were bombed, there are still other schools that can be used in the south on election day,” explained Kurais Dali, Comelec officer in Sultan Mastura.

Using guns, goons, and gold, political families kill each other and bribe voters before and in election hot-spots nationwide.