Sunday, May 13, 2007 Head of battalion tagged in Burgos abduction relieved
PHILIPPINE Army Chief Romeo Tolentino on Friday night ordered the relief of the commander of an Army battalion linked to the abduction of peasant movement leader Jonas Joseph Burgos.
Army spokesman Ernesto Torres said Tolentino decided to sack Lieutenant Colonel Melquiades Feliciano, commander of the 56th Infantry Battalion (IB) so as to remove doubts that the investigation would be whitewashed by military investigators.
Torres said Feliciano and some other military personnel would be questioned by investigators on the disappearance of Burgos, son of the late Malaya publisher and press freedom icon Joe Burgos last April 28.
Burgos was abducted by at least eight unidentified armed men at the Ever Gotesco mall in Quezon City. Militant groups have blamed the military as behind the kidnapping just like the extrajudicial killings.
“Everybody will be questioned,” said Torres.
It was earlier established that the license plate number of the Toyota REvo vehicle used in the kidnapping of Jonas belonged to an XLT jeep that had been impounded at the 56th IB headquarters in Norzagaray town in Bulacan for an illegal logging case.
Major General Juanito Gomez, commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division (ID), said the license plate was stolen sometime between November and March by still unidentified persons while the battalion was out for training.
The military investigation is on top of the inquiry being conducted by the Quezon City police district.
Meanwhile, Torres said Tolentino told all Army units to ensure that impounded vehicles, including their license plates, are secured in order to prevent them from being used in any illegal activity.
“License plates of impounded vehicles to include that of unserviceable army-owned vehicles must be deposited at command provost martial or logistics officers,” he also said.
Torres said the Army chief has also directed all Army commanders to “to immediately conduct an inventory of all impounded vehicles and report all missing license plates to concerned agencies.” (VR/Sunnex)
