By Gail Momblan/Philippine News Agency
ILOILO CITY — The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) on Thursday said government troops were not involved in the alleged harassment of an urban poor leader in this city’s Jaro district on July 7.
Wilfredo Panuela, a leader of the urban poor organization Kaisog, said that he and his wife were harassed by a certain Rey Gomez, who claimed to be an Army soldier and Art Diaz, who claimed to be affiliated with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
Progressive groups protested outside the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 here on Monday to condemn the alleged harassment and attempted abduction of Panuela.
Capt. Cenon Pancito III, chief of the 3ID Public Affairs Office, on Thursday denied that Gomez is connected with the Philippine Army.
Pancito said he personally checked with the 3ID’s personnel department and assured that he is not part of the government troops.
“There is also no operational orders issued by the 3ID’s headquarters, as well as the subordinate units, more particularly on Jaro, Iloilo on that very day,” Pancito said in an interview.
He added that “it is unlikely” for the NBI and the Army to be in a joint operation.
Pancito explained that footage from the closed-circuit television (CCTV) in the area showed two men aboard a motorcycle approaching Panuela.
The two men, who identified themselves as members of the PA and the NBI, allegedly forced Panuela to go with them.
Pancito said the Army assured the family of Panuela that it would further investigate the said incident.
“We want to clear this because it’s the name of the Army that is at stake,” he said.
“We’ve been building our name for so long here in Panay and for just one instance, it somehow maligned our name,” he added.
Pancito said the 3ID and its subordinate units have not heard of Panuela’s name. “He has not been an interest to us, how come he would implicate the Army in the situation?” he said.
Though Panuela belonged to Kaisog, which is critical of the administration, Pancito said he “has not been an interest to the Army.”
“We respect those who hold rallies. We just have eyes and ears on them but we don’t operate against these people,” he said.
He said the Army is more interested in armed groups, and not cause-oriented groups, to attain peace.
Pancito also believed that charges should be filed against those who use the Army’s name for their personal motives.
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