Monday, April 16, 2007 That’s a pack of lies, says Centcom
CENTRAL Command spokesperson Lt. Col. Jefferson Omandam called “lies” the claims of Bayan Muna regarding a military plot to make sure some groups cannot win in the party-list elections.
“There is no such thing. Layo ra gyud sa tinuod ang ilang gipanulti,” Omandam said.
This was after Bayan Muna Provincial Coordinator Arman Perez bared a plot called “Oplan Bantay Laya II” as a military measure to make sure those critical of the Arroyo administration will not win a seat in Congress.
Perez said the “abduction” of two of their coordinators was proof that the plan was in effect.
“He is manufacturing this. That is not the nature of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” Omandam said.
He explained that the two were arrested because of their alleged participation in an encounter in Tabuelan in March last year.
Perez claimed they had a source inside Centcom who informed them of the plot and said the Military Intelligence Group was behind the abduction of Beethoven Avila and Preciousa Daño last Thursday.
Avila is the Cebu south district coordinator for Kabataan party-list, while Daño is the second district coordinator for Bayan Muna.
However, Omandam said Avila was one of those involved in the encounter in Tabuelan wherein Central Visayas Regional Party Committee Front 2 secretary Jerry Badayos and Guillermo Alburo were killed.
He claimed that it was Avila who pointed to Daño as the front’s financial secretary.
The two were released to the Regional Intelligence and Investigation Division Friday night.
Perez said he wants the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7 to investigate the participation of the RIID and possibly submit their personnel to a lineup so that Avila and Daño can identify if they were part of the abduction.
Though they were blindfolded most of the time, the two claimed there were instances wherein the blindfolds were taken. (MEA)
