At least four people have been killed in clashes between rival political factions on a remote southern Philippine island.
Police are expected to arrive on Tongkil, around 1,000 kilometres (625 miles) south of Manila, soon to halt the fighting, which has trapped hundreds of families since Sunday night.
Political-related violence is growing in the run-up to congressional polls on May 14th.
Rivalry among political clans and competition for lucrative public office seats have made Philippine elections violent affairs, particularly in the south, where Muslim factions wage insurgencies against the Catholic central government.
At least 30 people have been killed in election-related violence in the past two months, according to the police, including a congressional candidate who was found shot dead in a parked car in Manila last month.
Over 140 people were murdered in election-related violence in the 2004 presidential race, one of the bloodiest since dictator Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown in 1986.