INQUIRER.net Eleksyon 2007

DoJ clears mayor, cops in torching of school

INQUIRER.net

Tetch Torres

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Justice (DoJ) has dismissed the criminal case filed against the former mayor of Taysan, Batangas and three police officers tagged in the burning of a school during last year’s elections, in which a teacher and two poll watchers died.

In a 23-page resolution, acting provincial prosecutor Alvin Navarro said there was not enough basis to pursue the case of arson resulting in triple homicide and multiple physical injuries against Police Inspector Roberto Marinda, Senior Police Officer 2 William Relos, Superintendent James Brillantes and former mayor Hernando Villena.

They were charged for the burning of the Pinagbayanan Elementary School by heavily armed men on the evening of May 15 last year, when ballots cast during the elections, which the re-electionist Villena lost, were being counted.

Killed during the assault were teacher Nellie Banaag and poll watcher Nellie Ramos, who were trapped inside the burning school. Another poll watcher, Guillermo Malaluan, died later at a hospital.

The Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) had claimed the attackers were men of the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police’s Regional Special Operations Group, commanded by Brillantes, who allegedly served as Villena’s “strike force.”

However, Navarro said the CIDG failed to prove a conspiracy between the police officers and Villena or that the policemen had been used as the former mayor’s strike force.

The DoJ also cited a decision of the Ombudsman dismissing a case for grave misconduct against the four accused.

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