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Tuesday, February 10, 2004
PNP 10 chief no idea farmhouse was looted
By Lizanilla Amarga
PROVINCIAL officials and Philippine National Police (PNP) officers said they welcome the orders of Senate President Franklin Drilon to investigate the Misamis Oriental Provincial Farmhouse takeover that lasted from 6:30 p.m. last Thursday to 1:00 a.m. Friday.
Senator Aqulino Pimentel Jr. disclosed Monday that Senator Edgardo Angara, the committee of suffrage chief, has already sent a letter requesting a list of peoples' names who should be made to answer for the takeover.
Supt. Nicolas Pasinos, regional police office director, admitted he cannot deny reports there were lootings made by his officers at the Provincial Farmhouse.
Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail (MOPJ) warden Dante Cabanlas then claimed there were no prisoners who participated in the takeover of the building housing Gov. Antonio Calingin's and Provincial Administrator Atty. Mitchel Anayron's offices.
Meanwhile, acting Gov. Miguel De Jesus and Provincial Board (PB) Member Norris Babiera said the Senate probe on the Provincial Farmhouse takeover is a "welcome" development.
They said this would at least bring the matter of Calingin's suspension to the national level.
"Aron maklaro gyud ang mga violations ana ni Calingin," he said during an interview with dxCL Angel Radyo Monday. (So that the violations made by Calingin would be laid down to the open.)
Siege
Babiera said he believes in the integrity and impartiality of the Senate to investigate the matter.
Pasinos, for his part, said he would attend the Senate investigation on this issue should he be invited. "If I am invited I will go as it is part of my obligation," he said.
Calingin, meanwhile, said he too welcomes the Senate inquiry, adding that Pimentel called him up last Friday after the senator made his privilege speech.
He said he has also received a text message from the senator stating that Angara is already requesting the names of those who could shed light on the Provincial Farmhouse takeover. "The names submitted would be made to appear in the Senate," he said.
The Provincial Farmhouse takeover by civilians and police was initiated under De Jesus' commands and led by Babiera and some other police officials under Provincial Director Virgilio Echeveria and acting Cagayan de Oro police director Antonio Montalba.
Just last Friday, Drilon directed the committees on local governance and suffrage headed by Senator Robert Barbers and Senator Edgardo Angara, respectively, to investigate the Misamis Oriental Provincial Farmhouse siege initiated last Thursday.
Same case
The Senate president's orders came amidst a privilege speech rendered last Friday by former Cagayan de Oro mayor now senator Atty. Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. who denounced the takeover of the Provincial Farmhouse.
In his speech, Pimentel narrated how takeover was led by Montalba who was accompanied by some police officers who were armed but not in their proper uniforms along with some civilians who wore bonnets to conceal their identities.
"(But) when they were confronted by the lawyers of Governor Calingin they said that they were acting under the orders of (Department of Interior and Local Government) Sec. Jose Lina sanctioned by no less than the President of the Philippines," he said in their Senate session Friday.
The senator also recounted how President Arroyo, through her executive secretary, issued a 60-day preventive suspension on Calingin last Nov. 10 2003. It was issued just a month after a December 10 order penalizing the governor for the same case.
"Without any hearing being made the order was also being implemented immediately, Mr. President (Drilon)," he said.
Pimentel also told the Senate how Calingin went to court and got a restraining order for the suspension order.
When the first restraining order has expired, the senator detailed how the court gave an order that Calingin should not be removed pending the determination of the court proceedings.
"And yet, in spite of that, last night the police, acting, as we said, under the supposedly orders of Mr. Lina and the President, used force to evict the staff of the governor from their places in the Provincial Farmhouse building in order to remove them physically from occupancy of their offices there," he said.
No part
"And therefore, we would like to ask that this matter be looked into by the appropriate committees especially because there is a tendency in Cagayan de Oro city now, Mr. President (Drilon), for the officials to act arbitrarily," he added.
Meanwhile, Pasinos admitted over Radio Mindanao Network (RMN) he still cannot yet ascertain to whether there were indeed some police officers who along with some civilians looted the medicines and other government properties in the Farmhouse.
"I was not around but if this is true they (police officers) should answer to this as that is not part of my orders," he said in Tagalog.
Earlier, video footages captured how there were some lootings initiated by some civilians in the Farmhouse.
There were also suspicions that looting of government medicines and other properties were among the many reasons why Montalba insisted on turning off the lights at the Provincial Farmhouse.
Pasinos was unable to explain fully how it was that it was the civilians bringing thick and long beating sticks led by Babiera who entered the Farmhouse first while his police officers were just standing by.
Cabanlas in a separate interview said he was not accompanied by any MOPJ inmates when he went over to the Provincial Farmhouse.
"Ang nahitabo lang kay timing nga pag-abot nako didto sa Farmhouse ang naa sa akong luyo mga civilians nga nagdala ug mga bunal," he said adding some of these civilians' faces were covered with make-shift bonnets. (It just so happened that when I arrived at the Farmhouse there were some civilians who were bringing with them some huge wooden beating sticks.)
(February 10, 2004 issue)
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