MAJORITY of the municipal mayors and barangay captains in Negros Oriental have strongly opposed the pullout of the Philippine Army from the province.

In his report during the regular session Thursday afternoon,

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Melimore Saycon, chairman of the committee on Human Rights and Peace and Order of the Provincial Board, said Thursday that the president of the League of Municipal Mayors and the federation president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) manifested that majority of their members are against the pullout of the soldiers.

Saycon thus created a motion to forward the militant farmers' petition to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. He said the President should decide whether to deny or act favorably on the petition in her capacity as commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Provincial Board (PB) member Saleto Erames, chairman of the committee on Rules, moved to furnish the petition to the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) for perusal.

Board member Marcelo Adanza, on the other hand, pushed to attach the committee report on PB's resolution to be forwarded to President Arroyo.

Board member Erwin Michael Macias also suggested attaching the copies of the League of Municipalities and League of Barangay Captains' manifestation duly signed by the PB members in favor of the retention of the Philippine Army in the province.

Saycon, however, told Sun.Star that both leagues have not provided any official copy of their manifestation.

He said that he consulted the petition to Mayor Reynaldo Tuanda, president of the League of Municipal Mayors, and to ABC federation president Apolinario Arnaiz Sr.

Both Tuanda and Arnaiz, he said, verbally told him that their leagues have strongly opposed the pullout of the military forces from the province.

Saycon added that he already asked the official position paper of both leagues for legal purposes.

Phoebe Ligan, chapter federation president of the Philippine Councilors' League (PCL), also told Sun.Star that the residents of Sta. Catalina town are strongly against the pullout.

Ligan, municipal councilor of Sta. Catalina, said they consulted the residents upon receiving the petition from the group.

In a meeting held last week, the committee studied the petition of the farmers' group Kapunungan Alang sa Ugma sa Gagmayng Mag-uuma sa Oriental Negros (Kaugmaon).

Kaugmaon, an allied peasant group of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) has small farmer organizations from Siaton, Sta. Catalina and Guihulngan.

One hundred thirty Kaugmaon members and officials signed the undated petition addressed to Vice Governor Jose Baldado, who referred it to the CHR and Peace and Order of the Provincial Board.

The group petitioned for the immediate pullout of the soldiers belonging to the 302nd Infantry Brigade, 79th and 11th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army from Negros Oriental.

The peasant group accused the soldiers of violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1987 Philippine Constitution and Comprehensive Agreements on Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Cahrihl).

Fermin Lorico, chairperson of Kaugmaon-KMP in Negros Oriental, accused the troops for human rights violation allegedly involving threats to farmers to kill, harassment and intimidation, illegal arrest, illegal search, forcing the farmers to sign documents to declare themselves as surrenderees, and physical abuse.

They also accused the soldiers for establishing their camps in public and populated places like barangay hall, day care and purok centers.

Military top officials, however, strongly denied the accusations.

Colonel Cesar Yano, commander of the 302nd Brigade of the Philippine Army, challenged anew the militant group to identify soldiers who are allegedly responsible for the abuses.

He assured the peasant group members that he will punish soldiers who will be proven guilty for the alleged abuses.

Lieutenant Colonel Erwin Bernard Neri, commanding officer of the 79th IB, said the issue is a rehash accusation against them but nobody from the militant group can prove the allegations.

"These are just propaganda to destroy our credibility," said Lieutenant Colonel Franco Gacal, commanding officer of the 11th IB.

"We have been providing security to communities," Gacal said, adding that some New People's Army (NPA) members even appreciated their developmental efforts. (VLC)