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Tuesday, September 02, 2003
Editorial: Grilling their ranks
IT GOES without saying that the military should investigate its own ranks in connection with the alleged involvement of some of its people in a break-in at Fr. Juliano Retiquez's home in Gingoog City.
The incident had been roundly condemned by the Archdiocese of Cagayan de Oro which actually has supervision over all churches in Northern Mindanao and Bayan Muna, which had mostly critical of military activities in the countryside particularly in the arrest of suspected New People's Army (NPA) Amazon Zenaida Llesis.
What got the ire of the latter group was the fact that the priest in question is said to have given protection to an NPA commander.
Thus they pointed an accusing finger at the military which had intensified its campaign against the rebels in recent weeks despite the attempts at peace talks by government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA (CPP-NPA).
The description of the men tagged in the raid smells of military personnel: black bonnet masks, high powered weapons and motorcycles.
Although one has to admit that Gingoog City just like some areas in Misamis Oriental isn't exactly free of the presence of rebel elements.
In 2001 the Fourth Infantry Division (4th ID) alleged that it received reports that there were some people, including women, who were allegedly giving aid to NPA rebels.
Given that backdrop the military can somewhat justify its intensified monitoring activities on rebel presence in Gingoog City, a component city of Misamis Oriental.
Still this report about men in masks with high powered weapons knocking on one's door is alarming and had the Archdiocese and Bayan Muna screaming "martial law", now a dreaded word among the people and government.
And to militant groups and rights advocates "intensified monitoring" activities may include break-ins at homes by civilian type agents in the dead of night with folks being brought to someplace remote for interrogation.
Maybe the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) should conduct an inquiry on this given that the victim, though a member of the clergy, is still a Filipino citizen whose rights have been roundly violated by this armed intrusion into his home.
Then again with the rather timid way they've dealt with previous human rights cases like one employee's complaint against Mayor Vicente Emano what can one expect from the agency?
And while the military may brush aside Bayan Muna's charge by labelling it as yet another allegation from the left, they have to remove any doubts about their alleged links to that Gingoog City break-in.
(September 2, 2003 issue)
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