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Saturday, March 29, 2003
SCAA disarmed in East Coast
By Jess Alcoran
THE City Council has called on Task Force Zamboanga to rearm some 200 militiamen assigned in Vitali who were all disarmed by Task Force Zamboanga three days ago.
Task Force Zamboanga headed by Col. Alexander Yapching has disarmed three companies of Special Citizen Active Auxiliary (SCAA) in Vitali some three days ago for some undisclosed reasons.
Ironically, the SCAA were disarmed for allegedly implementing the Fishery Code.
Councilor Mannix Dalipe confirmed the disarming of the militiamen during the council's regular session Thursday at the City Council, Pasonanca Convention Center yesterday.
The three companies of SCAA is composed of more than two hundred members who were tasked to secure the Vitali district area like Limaong Island, Mangusu and Barangay Vitali itself.
Councilor Dalipe has questioned the disarming of the entire SCAA if only a few of them could be guilty of some violations.
He also questioned why the three companies were all disarmed all at the same time.
Residents of Vitali District are apprehensive now over the disarming of the SCAA by the Task Force Zamboanga considering that these units are the first line of defense in case of any attempt to any intrusion of bad elements in the area, Dalipe pointed out.
Because of these revelations, Dalipe filed a council resolution urging Yapching to re-arm the three companies of SCAA so that they can perform their duties in the area.
The SCAA were organized to protect the villages in their area of jurisdiction particularly in Vitali district.
Dalipe said he was surprised to learn about the disarming and said that this is alarming not only to the residents of Vitali District but also to everybody in Zamboanga City.
It was not clear as to why the military disarmed the SCAA in Vitali.
However, Councilor Asbi Edding said the barangay chairman of Vitali confirmed the revelation of Dalipe.
Edding said that it seems that the disarming of the SCAA was due to the fact that these units are helping to implement the Fishery Law Ordinance of the city as "Bantay Dagat."
The "Bantay Dagat" is being implemented to safeguard the 15-kilometer perimeter distance from the shore of Zamboanga fishing ground from outsider.
Edding said that instead of disarming the SCAA the military should give them more guns so they can implement the Fishery Ordinance more effectively.
On the other hand councilor Cesar Jimenez urged for an amendment to the council resolution filed by councilor Dalipe in this regard to immediately bring the matter to the knowledge of city mayor Maria Clara L. Lobregat.
Jimenez said that the council should delegate Dalipe to bring the matter personally to the city mayor for her proper disposition.
They said it should be the mayor who should ask the military to rearm the militiamen.
Councilor Milabel Velasquez, however, suggested that the body should find out the reason of this particular disarming and refer it to the committee on peace and justice. With Riolyn Pontillas
(March 28, 2003 issue)
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