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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
2 killed, 6 hurt in attack on Batangas precinct
* Education dep't condemns attack, death of teacher
MANILA -- A teacher and a poll watcher died while six others were injured when five unidentified men raided a polling center in Batangas and burned ballot boxes before dawn Tuesday.
Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, director of the police in Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), identified the fatalities as Nellie Banaag, who was among those supervising the elections in the precinct, and poll watcher Leslie Ramos.
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At around 3 a.m., Radovan said the five men barged into Precinct 76-A in Pinagbayanan Elementary School in Pinagbayanan village in Taysan town in Batangas and poured gasoline on the ballot boxes.
The suspects fled after firing at the ballot boxes using M16 rifles, causing the fire -- which later spread to seven school buildings. The fire was put off by responding authorities two hours later.
One of the witnesses, identified as Jimmy Arias, said he saw the armed men entering the precinct with gasoline placed in two 1.5-liter softdrink bottles.
Arias said he thought that what the five men brought were refreshments. He said he later realized that the men were going to do a sinister act when they poured the contents of the bottle on the ballot boxes and opened fire.
The Department of Education (DepEd) condemned the burning of the school that resulted in the death of Banaag and Ramos.
"The entire DepEd community is enraged by this despicable crime," Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said, who added that "the wretched act resulted in the death of innocent people."
Lapus assured the family of Banaag that they would receive benefits accorded to them.
Asked how much is the DepEd willing to provide as assistance, Lapus said the family of the deceased can expect at least P50,000 from the department, P15,000 and P10,000 from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) and Pag-Ibig, respectively, and P200,000 as insurance.
Meanwhile, elements of the Army's 53rd Infantry Battalion seized several firearms from the vehicle of a vice mayoral candidate in the village of Bibilik in Dumalinao town in Zamboanga del Sur during a checkpoint on Monday night.
The vice mayoral bet - Hernand dela Cruz - and his security escorts - policeman Lito Angos Umbos and militiaman Alan Sacappano - had four rifles when the soldiers flagged down their L300 van at around 6 a.m.
The van was accompanied by a Pajero vehicle occupied by Provincial Board candidate Elmar Buhawi, a retired military colonel, and Senior Police Officers 1 Jose Legan Sarcina, Leonel Buhawi and Diosdado Mansi, and former military personnel. (VR/AH/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Bacolod. (May 16, 2007 issue)
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