by Carolyn O. Arguillas / MindaNews
Saturday, 19 September 2009 00:06
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/18 Sept) – The Ombudsman for Mindanao is conducting a preliminary investigation on the complaint filed by internally displaced persons or “bakwits” from some villages in Maguindanao against officials of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division for alleged destructive arson and misconduct. This is the first time IDPs filed cases against the military in the midst of a war. “I am happy something is being done about these complaints,” said the Quezon City-based Sr. Arnold Maria Noel of the Mindanao Solidarity Network.
Facing preliminary investigation are at least five officials of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, including its chief, Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton.
Aside from Cayton, the IDPs charged in their complaint Col. Medardo Geslani, chief of the 601st Infantry Brigade; Col. Bonifacio Sembrian of the 46th Infantry Battalion; Lt. Col. Aderito Navata of the 54th IB “and a certain Lt. Col. Libutan” of the 75th IB.
Emilio Gonzalez, deputy ombudsman for the military, gave the respondents 10 days to file their counter-affidavits.
MindaNews sought Cayton for comment but as of presstime, Cayton had yet to answer.
The cases were filed by IDPs from barangays Nunangen, Datu Anggal town in Maguindanao and Sitio Patulan, Linamunan, Talayan, Maguindanao against the officers and elements of the: 46th Infantry Battalion under Sebrian; 54th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army under Navata; and 75th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army under Libutan “all under the direct command and control of Colonel Medardo P. Geslani, Brigade Commander of 601st Brigade by way of command responsibility; and Major General Alfredo S. Cayton, Commanding General of the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army by way of command responsibility, the unit involved being under his direct command and responsibility.”
Two sets of affidavits were filed in June and August 2009 by the complainants.
In their affidavits, the complainants cited the burning allegedly by the military, of the Nunungan Public Market and neighboring houses on May 7, 2009; the burning of some 100 houses in Sitio Patulan and the burning of some 79 houses in Barangay Pagatin, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, on Eid’l Fitr, or the end of Ramadan on September 30 last year.
The National Disaster Coordinating Committee (NDCC)’s latest update, dated July 14, said 3,801 houses were damaged, 3,077 totally and 724 partially.
The NDCC added that 1,039 houses were rehabilitated, 459 of them totally and 580 partially.
The NDCC recorded a total of 745,763 persons IDPs from August 10, 2008 to July 7, 2009.
While it has yet to release its August and September reports on its website, NDCC’s July 14 report said that as of July 7, 51,326 families or 254,119 persons were still languishing in evacuation centers or with their relatives.
The government declared a suspension of offensive military operations on July 23, and was reciprocated with a suspension of military operations by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front on July 25. The two sides have since met twice to prepare for the resumption of the formal peace talks.
Despite the SOMO and SOMA, however, thousands of IDPs have yet to return home. (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)
Source: http://www.mindanews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6993&Itemid=50
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