Archive for May 30th, 2007
Ex-Garcillano aides moved to anti-narcotics agency–sources
MANILA, Philippines — Army Captain Valentino Lopez, a former aide of ex-elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano, one of the alleged architects of fraud that marred the 2004 elections, has been given a new assignment at the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), three independent sources have confirmed.
One of the three officials, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, said another ex-Garcillano aide, Captain Marlon Mendoza, has also been transferred to PDEA although the two other officials could not confirm this.
Lopez had allegedly tried to bribe a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official in Western Mindanao with P50 million to ensure the victories of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and a Zamboanga mayoralty bet.
A military fact-finding board that looked into the alleged involvement of its officials into the 2004 cheating controversy recommended that Lopez undergo “further investigation.”
Mendoza had testified before a Senate investigation in August 2005 that Garcillano had bragged during a drinking spree that an alleged operator of the illegal numbers game “jueteng” contributed P300 million to Arroyo’s campaign kitty.
Mendoza is facing court martial for allegedly faking P8 million worth of Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) identification cards.
The first source said Lopez was assigned with the PDEA’s complaint reaction unit. The second source confirmed this, saying Lopez was involved in “information gathering.” Both officials are from the PDEA, a composite team of soldiers, policemen, and intelligence agents.
“We are all facing cases. The charges have not been proven and no punishment has been imposed,” the second source said, when asked why Lopez was given a post at the PDEA despite allegations linking him to election fraud.
The first source said Lopez was detailed at the PDEA shortly after former military chief Dionisio Santiago took over from ex-PDEA director general Anselmo Avenido a few months back.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
Redeployment of troops in Metro Manila sought
MANILA, Philippines — Armed Forces National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) Chief Major General Ben Dolorfino said he has recommended the redeployment of troops to urban poor communities to the Chief of Staff, General Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
In an after operations report submitted to Esperon’s office on Tuesday, Dolorfino said he enumerated the many “accomplishments” of the 260 civil military operations (CMO) soldiers in their six-month stay in Metro Manila communities, including the surrender of eight self-confessed members of a terrorist “sleeper cell” last May 1.
“As far as we concerned, we see to it that we will continue or CMO activities,” Dolorfino told reporters Wednesday. “Our view is we should continue our peacetime role as an active partner of local government units.”
The soldiers were pulled out from 19 villages in Manila, Quezon City, and Caloocan City on the eve of the May 14 elections to erase speculations that they would be used for partisan political activities.
Dolorfino said the CMO troops have finished their refresher training and were awaiting Esperon’s decision on whether they would be redeployed to the poor communities.
He said that if troops would be redeployed, they would continue the “gun-less approach” against security threats, winning the support of the people through community service projects and dialogues.
“The National Capital Region is not spared from the threats of insurgency, the terrorism so we have to do something in order to be proactive in confronting the threats,” Dolorfino said.
Dolorfino said his recommendation would be reviewed by Esperon’s deputies for intelligence, operations, and CMO, Rear Admiral Leonardo Calderon, Major General Jogy Fojas, and Major General Jaime Buenaflor respectively.
The six-month long deployment came under fire from left-wing militants and partylist groups, who accused soldiers of harassing their supporters.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also criticized the deployment, saying the deployment was reminiscent of martial law and soldiers encroached on the functions of the police and local government units.
View article as posted on INQUIRER.net
