Thursday, September 17, 2009

Ranking military officials face destructive arson, misconduct raps

By PRIMO HONTIVEROS

QUEZON CITY—The Office of the Ombudsman for the Military and other Law Enforcement Offices has filed cases of destructive arson and misconduct against top ranking officers of the 6th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army based in Tacurong City last September.

The respondents included Maj. Gen. Alfredo Cayton, commanding general of the 6th ID, Col. Medardo Geslani, 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—all based in Maguindanao Province.

The cases were filed by alleged victims of destructive arson in the villages of Nunangan, Makir, and other villages with heavy presence of internally displaced persons in Maguindanao.

The destructive arson case was lodged as case OMB-P-C-09-0570-0 while the misconduct case was lodged as case OMB-P-A-09-0610-0.

Emilio Gonzalez, deputy ombudsman for the military, ordered the filing of the cases. The complainants were assisted by Sr. Arnold Maria Noel of Quezon City.

The respondents were given ten (10) days to file their counter-affidavits. Gonzalez also ordered the respondents to indicate their first names, middle names, last names, including their addresses and salary grades.

The resolution of the case, according to Gonzalez, which is now under preliminary investigation, shall be based on the evidence submitted by the parties whose presence may be dispensed with, unless otherwise required for clarificatory questioning.