Celeste: “I don’t have private army”
PNP INTEL OFFICER UNDER SIEGE
ALAMINOS CITY—“I don’t have a private army!”
A fuming First District Rep. Art Celeste declared in a press conference at his residence Thursday afternoon in reaction to a published report attributed to the provincial police.
He said he will file a libel complaint before the Ombudsman against P/Supt. Romeo Caramat, chief of the intelligence branch of the Provincial Police Office, for leaking to the media an alleged unverified information that he and his brothers are keeping a private army.
The Celeste said the indiscretion committed by Caramat during the Talakayan sa Kapitolyo in Lingayen on March 9 put his family in a bad light.
“We categorically deny that we are maintaining a private army in our district or in our town of Bolinao. There is no truth to this,” Celeste said, dismissing it as a mere black propaganda against them.
The congressman, chairman of the House Committee in National Defense and Security, said that aside from the libel complaint, he will also file a separate administrative case against Caramat before the Philippine National Police for maligning the reputation of the entire Celeste family.
At the forum, Caramat mentioned six towns in Pangasinan as having partisan armed groups (PAGs) or private armies and named the Celeste brothers of Bolinao as among them.
The other PAGs identified by Caramat are in San Manuel, Infanta, Umingan, Balungao and San Nicolas. Celeste, who is running for mayor of Alaminos City in the May 10 election, said this issue is being raised today is politically motivated.
He also named Mayor Marcelo Navarro Jr. of Bani, a retired PNP director and whom the congressman identified as one of his family’s known political rivals, as possibly behind the disinformation.
Celeste hinted that being a retired general and a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Navarro still has colleagues and mistahs in the PNP who he may have possibly exerted influence to create the intelligence report that the Celestes are maintaining a private army.
Navarro, who is running for reelection in his town under the Liberal Party banner, was not available for comment as of press time. Celeste, now on his third term of office, is up against incumbent Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza, who is under the LP banner, like Navarro.
The congressman said Caramat should have charged him, his bother Jesus and Alfonso, in court if he really has the evidence against them that they are maintaining a private army instead of leaking the raw intelligence report to the media.
Celeste said the family will not settle for an apology from Caramat.
The congressman was joined in his press conference by his elder brother Jesus, a former mayor of Bolinao and running for congressman of the first district, Mayors John Rodney Arcinue of Sual, Carlitos Reyes of Mabini, Jose Pajeta Jr. of Agno, Ruperto Martinez of Infanta and Noel Nacar of Dasol. Also present were Councilor and Liga ng Barangay president Antonio Naval of Burgos, Councilor Aldrin Celdran of Anda, Councilor Art Amon of Bani, who is also the Celeste’s legal counsel and Vice Mayor Alimar Briana of Mabini.
Celeste also challenged the entire officialdom of the Pangasinan PNP led by Police Provincial Director Percival Barba to arrest the Celeste brothers if they really have the evidence showing that the Celestes are keeping a private army.
He added that aside from tarnishing the family’s name, his request for a security detail in connection with the coming election has been held in abeyance by the PNP.
He stressed that his present security details “are my entitlements as chairman of the Committee on National Defense and Security”.—LM
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