Two people died, including the husband of a Central Philippines mayoralty candidate last as violence stepped up days before Filipinos take to the polls for the mid-term elections.

A report reaching Manila said Jun Apura and his companion identified only as Espaldon were ambushed by heavily armed men in the village of Anabo in Lemery, Iloilo, mortally wounding the two who later died at a local hospital.

Jun Apura is the husband of Mayor Ligaya Apura who is seeking reelection.

According to state-run Philippine News Agency, police who conducted pursuit operations arrested a certain Mario Cobarubias. The suspect was caught in possession of an assault rifle and two hand grenades.

The incident involving Apura is the latest as election related violence across the country intensified seven days before the May 13 mid-term elections where Filipinos will vote their next set of senators and local leaders from congressmen, governors, mayors, councillors and others.

Election hostilities have been occurring with eerie intensity. In Manila, a bottle throwing incident in Sampaloc district marred a political rally held by the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) last Sunday.

The UNA’s candidate for vice mayor of Manila, re-electionist Francisco Damagoso (Isko Moreno) was delivering his campaign speech when rocks and bottles thrown from the back of the stage fell in the area where politicians were supposed to speak. The incident panicked people, causing a stampede that injured three people.

Damagoso’s running mate is former president Joseph Estrada who was also present during the event.

Incumbent Mayor Alfredo Lim, who is running for re-election under the administration Liberal Party, said he has nothing to do with the incident.

Earlier, on Saturday in southern Metro Manila, supporters of Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano engaged followers of Rica Tinga, her challenger in the polls, in a scuffle.

Twelve people, including candidate for councillor Ervic Vijandre, sustained injuries as a result of the melee.

Philippine elections are traditionally violent with assassination of candidates and killing of supporters as standard fixtures, however, the recent developments show actual hostilities taking place in the open and witnessed by the people.

The Philippine National Police said to cut down on violence, it will deploy most of its personnel, including those engaged in administrative task, to election duties.

“The Philippine National Police will deploy 50 per cent or 21,885 PNP personnel performing administrative jobs and undergoing training to augment troops in the field as part of its maximium deployment of uniformed personnel’s duties for the synchronised National and Local Elections on May 13, 2013,” said PNP Director General Allan Purisima.

Purisima said that personnel of the elite police commando unit, Special Action Force will also be deployed for the elections.

Poll violence, electoral fraud and other nefarious activities by politicians are occurring despite efforts by the state to computerise elections.