BATANGAS CITY – The provincial police here openly concluded a local politician employed the services of communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in torching a school in Taysan town that left a teacher and a poll watcher dead on Tuesday.
Batangas provincial police director Senior Superintendent Freddie Panen said their initial investigation of the incident showed the local politician asked the rebels “a favor” to burn down the Pinagbayanan Elementary School in Taysan in an effort to erase the winning results of the canvassing held in the school after last Monday’s elections.
Panen, however, refused to identify the politician pending the final investigation report.
“This is connected with the permit to campaign fee given by the politician to the rebels in exchange for a pass to campaign in their stronghold areas,” Panen said.
Panen stressed the incident was politically motivated. “But we’re still gathering evidence for other angles,” he added.
Nellie Banaag, a teacher of Pinagbayanan Elementary School, and poll watcher Leticia Ramos perished after unidentified armed men set the school on fire early Tuesday.
Twelve others, most of them poll watchers, and Banaag’s daughter Richelle, were injured in the blaze.
The armed men reportedly ordered the teachers and poll watchers to lie on the floor while the others poured gasoline on the walls and doors of the rooms before setting it on fire.
Malacañang ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to investigate the apparent lapse in security that allowed the armed men to sneak into the school and set it on fire.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, a native of Batangas, said the orders were directly given to Panen.
“I told him (Panen) to be sure that nothing else would happen because we never expected that (incident) to happen in Taysan,” Ermita said.
PNP Chief for Investigation and Detective Management Director Geary Barias said their own initial investigation also indicated the NPA carried out the burning of the school.
“There are very strong indications that (the) NPA was behind the attack but we have to find concrete evidence to support that,” Barias said.
Barias said they have collected the two cans of gasoline used in the fire for forensic analysis. “If we can identify where the gasoline was bought, perhaps we can ask people from the gasoline station for a description of the attackers,” he said.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), on the other hand, publicly released the descriptions of the attackers based on eyewitness accounts.
According to NBI Director Nestor Mantaring, several residents in Taysan have recognized some of the suspects.
Mantaring said the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has requested the NBI to help in the investigation to track down the suspects.
Mantaring said he learned that Taysan was among those listed as “areas of concern” by the Comelec.
The NPA, on the other hand, has denied having a hand in the attack.
In a statement, NPA spokesman Gregorio “Ka Roger” Rosal said they will make their own investigation of the incident and added “the despicable act can never be the work of the NPA.”
Rosal said the PNP is “merely covering up the failure of the police forces to identify the perpetrators.”
“The revolutionary forces condemn violence against innocent people such as those killed and wounded in this dastardly attack. The NPA has nothing to gain from such an attack,” Rosal said.
Mayoralty candidate shot dead
DAVAO CITY – A mayoralty candidate of Malita town in Davao del Sur and his son were killed by supporters of his rival yesterday.
Initial reports said Isidro Sarmiento, the administration candidate for the town of Malita, was killed along with his son Danny in front of their house in Barangay Poblacion.
Police said the Sarmientos figured in a heated argument with the supporters of rival candidate, incumbent Gov. Benjamin Bautista, over copies of election results in the canvassing held at the town hall.
When supporters of Bautista learned of Sarmiento’s efforts to secure a copy of the election returns, they went to the house and confronted the victims, initially engaging in a fistfight before they were shot dead.
According to Bautista, the elder Sarmiento triggered the shootout, hitting his brother Rep. Claude Bautista, who led the supporters in rushing to the Sarmiento house.
“It was good that the bodyguard of my brother was able to push him to the side which resulted in his being able to avoid (getting shot),” the governor said.
Rep. Bautista, for his part, claimed he was merely asking the Sarmientos to return the election documents.
Bautista, however, denied shooting Sarmiento, pointing to his bodyguard, who was hit in the leg during the shootout.
Southern Mindanao regional police director Chief Superintendent Andres Caro said they will investigate the incident.
“We are looking into the matter. Investigation is already ongoing now,” Caro said. – With Paolo Romero, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Ding Cervantes, Rainier Allan Ronda, Edith Regalado, John Paul Jubelag