Deployment of army soldiers explained
LINGAYEN—The soldiers were in Eastern Pangasinan for a legitimate mission.
Police Provincial Director Percival Barba said the commanding officer of the Army soldiers sent to Natividad during the Holy Week clarified that they were there to check on the reported presence of members of the New People’s Army.
Barba said he found this to be a plausible explanation and should end all suspicions and malicious political talks about the army’s surprise presence in the area.
It was the second deployment of soldiers in eastern Pangasinan.
The first one was in Asingan and this had the clearance of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the provincial police was aware of the mission.
The second was neither cleared by the Comelec nor by Barba’s office.
Barba pointed out that all the soldiers were pulled out on the same day that they were seen in those two towns.
Political leaders in eastern Pangasinan earlier hinted that retired Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon, who is running as congressional representative for the area, may have had something to do with it.
Esperon has denied involvement.
At the same time, Barba said the people should not be alarmed by the presence of members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police who are heavily armed as long as they are wearing identification, and in proper uniform.
“What they should be afraid of are people who are armed, unidentified and not in authorized military or police uniform,” he said.—LM
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