BY RAYMOND AFRICA

THE PNP yesterday placed under restrictive custody five members of the Southern Tagalog Police-Regional Special Operations Group for their alleged participation in the burning of the Pinagbayanan Elementary School in Taysan, Batangas a day after the elections.

A teacher and a poll watcher were killed. Police had initially blamed the New People’s Army.

The highest ranking of the five is a police inspector (equivalent to lieutenant in the military) who acted as the team leader. They are now under detained at Camp Vicente Lim in Canlubang, Laguna, home of the Southern Tagalog Police Office.

Director Geary Barias, chief of Investigation and Detective Management, said two of the team members were identified by witnesses through artist’s sketches.

Witnesses also linked the five to the camp of Hernando Villena, mayoral candidate in Taysan, Batangas. The five were seen joining Villena’s activities three days before the elections.

Villena ran against Victor Portugal.

A relative of Portugal, Ana Coritha Portugal, was unseated in March after a protest filed by Villena, who then assumed as municipal mayor.

Barias said the five RSOG personnel will have to explain why they were in the school area when it was burned, noting policemen had been assigned to specific areas during the election period.

He said the investigation could go up to Supt. James Brillantes, chief of the RSOG.

President Arroyo ordered the release of P4 million from the calamity fund to replace six classrooms burned in the incident.

All books, furniture, computers and other school items that were destroyed in the fire will also be replaced, said Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya.

President Arroyo was scheduled to go to the wake of Nellie Banaag, the teacher who died in the fire, but postponed it to Friday.

The other fatality was poll watcher Leticia Ramos.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said the Taysan incident was an isolated case.

"I have been following up the situation in Batangas… and I noticed that there has been no real violence except this one in Taysan," Ermita said.

Following Banaag’s death, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers said teachers would no longer perform election duties if election-related violence is not curbed.

In Abra, Brenda Crisologo, wife of Tineg mayoral candidate Edwin Crisologo, was shot by a lone gunman at around noon during canvassing at the Holy Spirit High School in Bangued.

The gunman was identified as Totoy Buyaw, a poll watcher.

Police said that without provocation, Buyaw pulled out a gun and fired at the Crisologo couple, but only Brenda was hit.

Buyaw was killed by responding policemen and soldiers as he was escaping.

Brenda is confined at the Abra Provincial Hospital.

In South Cotabato, a winning candidate in the Polomolok municipal council elections is in serious condition after an unidentified gunman shot him in the neck Wednesday night.

Rogelio Estrada Limos, 63, is confined at the intensive care unit of the Howard Hubbard Dolephil Hospital.

Limos was manning his store at around 7:30 p.m. when the gunman, who pretended to buy a soft drink, pulled out a .45 pistol and shot him.

Police said Limos ran under the Antonio Independent Movement.

In Basilan, an unidentified man hurled two grenades at the Basilan State College in Isabela City while canvassing was ongoing.