Due to poll violence, intense rivalry: Bantayan Is. placed under Comelec control

The Commission on Elections has finally declared the three towns in Bantayan Island under its control because of the reported presence of armed men, election violence and intense political rivalry.

Comelec commissioner Resurreccion Borra placed the towns of Madridejos, Bantayan and Santa Fe under Comelec control effectively May 9, a week after mayoralty candidate Rogelio Illustrisimo Sr. was killed in front of the Comelec provincial office, where his political opponent, Domingo Zaspa, was tagged as mastermind.

Borra''s decision to place Bantayan Island under Comelec control was based on the recommendation of the police and local election officials. Comelec provincial supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, based on the police recommendation, asked for the declaration.

Aside from Bantayan Island, Borra also approved the recommendation to place the rest of the towns in the fourth district under immediate areas of concern and also some towns in the third and fifth district, because of the presence of the New People''s Army.

The towns that are already considered areas of immediate concern include Tuburan and Asturias in the third district; Daanbantayan, Medellin, San Remigio, Tabuelan, Bogo and Tabogon in the fourth district and Borbon, Carmen, Catmon and Sogod in the fifth district.

Comelec regional director Rey Rene Buac yesterday announced that he has already created a special action team. Buac has designated lawyer Eliseo Tabaria, election officer of Valencia, Bohol, as action officer for Bantayan Island. Tabaria will serve as liaison officer in the area.

Buac said that Tabaria will immediately report to Bantayan as soon as they receive the copy of the memorandum of Borra.

Please Explain

Meanwhile, Santa Fe Mayor Roger Illustrisimo is demanding an explanation from the provincial government why there was no security guard and member the Civil Security Unit in the area where his father was shot to death. "Nahibulong ko nganong walay CSU ug walay security guard. Makasuspetsa ko og gamay," Illustrisimo said, but refused to give further comment.

The mayor however said that he is convinced that Zaspa is the mastermind in the killing of his father because they have no other enemies. The younger Illustrisimo said that Zaspa was also heard during his campaign sorties claiming that his opponent will no longer make it to election day.

The police has already filed the murder case before the Cebu City Prosecutor''s Office against Zaspa and the alleged gunman, dismissed policeman Anthony Pigon.

Pigon calls THE FREEMAN

A man claiming to be Pigon called up the The Freeman yesterday to deny any involvement in the crime.

During a brief conversation, the man complained why he was implicated in the killing of Illustrisimo when he was in Manila at the time of the incident.

"Ma''m si PO1 Pigon ni, nganong ako man ang gipasanginlan nga tua man ko sa Manila anang hitaboa?" then Pigon immediately informed The Freeman that he has to hang up because he noticed somebody following him from the gate where he was standing at the moment. He never called back.

Acting Cebu City Police Office director Patrocinio Comendador, who also heads the Task Force Illustrisimo, when asked for comment about the call that the Freeman received, said that if he (Pigon) is not guilty, he should not fear.

Comendador added that Pigon should surface to clear his name and not run.

A police team sent to Cawayan, Masbate to arrest Pigon was reportedly fired upon allowing the suspect to flee.

"Nganong midagan man siya? Flight is an indication of guilt, then identified man siya sa atong mga witnesses," Comendador said.

"Opportunity na unta to niya, pero nganong midagan siya, nganong nakahibalo man siya nga gipangita siya sa mga pulis. Kung gusto gyud siya, he must to come out to the open and make himself available so that the court will fast track the case and so justice would be served."

Aside from Pigon and Zaspa, Comendador is convinced that there are other people involved in the killing that they have yet to identify.

Comendador said, he believes that there was a third party or the middle man between Zaspa and Pigon in carrying out the killing. He also said that they already have a suspect.

"Naa pa man gani koy dugang impormasyon nakuha nga dunay mitawag sa team sa Masbate police nga nangutana kon unsay problema kang Pigon kay iya lang dawng arboron, apan gitubag lang siya sa polis nga dili pwede kay involved siya ug patay sa Cebu city," Comendador said.

Pigon is also reportedly involved in the ambush of a politician in Masbate.

Luckily, the politician survived, but two of the bodyguards were killed. Comendador also said that the CIDG-5 in Masbate has assured him that they will pursue in the filing of a case against Insp. Nicole Ygot for coddling the suspect.

Pigon was spotted at a hut inside the property of Ygot.

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Oscar Calderon, who was in Cebu yesterday thanked the Task Force Illustirismo for the speedy resolution of the case.

Comendador said that he hopes to motivate his men to work harder with this commendation from their chief.

At the same time, the CCPO chief welcomed the move of the Zaspa camp to file counter-charges against him, as it is part of his job. He however said that Zaspa will have the face the charges against him first.-with Edwin Melecio/NLQ