Esperon washes hands over army deployment
LINGAYEN–It wasn’t by me.
This was the assertion of former Armed Forces Chief of Staff General Hermogenes Esperon Jr. about the deployment of army men in the 6th District where he is a candidate for the congressional seat.
“It is unfair to say that the soldiers are there to support my candidacy,” he said.
At the same time, headed that the presence of soldiers in the area should not be construed as a form of “militarization”.
Esperon, the administration candidate under the Lakas-Kampi CMD, is up against Vice Governor Marlyn Primicias Agabas of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) who reportedly enjoys the support of incumbent Rep. Conrado Estrella III.
ESPERON
Esperion said “there could be a valid reason why soldiers were sent to the area”, adding that he was not privy to their mission despite being a former chief of staff of the AFP,
“I believe in the professionalism of soldiers and of members of the Philippine National Police (PNP)… You better ask the Army or the Comelec (Commission on Election) about this,” said Esperon who served previously as chief of the Presidential Management Staff under President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
Provincial Election Supervisor Reddy Balarbar earlier said he approved the deployment of soldiers in the area because of his personal belief that the 6th and 2nd Districts are possible flash points in Pangasinan in this year’s election.
Esperon speculated that recent killings in San Manuel, among other towns in the area and the ambush of the assistant municipal electric registrar of Sta. Maria town could have been the reasons for the army deployment.
He also pointed to the presence of Partisan Armed Groups (PAGs) or private armies in the district even as downplayed the threats they pose during the campaign period and on election day itself.
The provincial police earlier pointed out that PAGs reportedly operate in four towns in the district, namely San Manuel, Balungao, San Nicolas and Umingan. The towns are included under the watchlist of the PNP for this election.
Board Member Alfonso Bince Jr., who is with aligned with Agabas, has called for the pull out of the soldiers, saying the PNP can very well take care of the peace and order situation in the area.
Moreover, Bince denied that Mayors Salvador Perez of San Manuel, Jose Peralta Jr. of Balungao, Leoncio Saldivar III of San Nicolas and Eldred Tumbucon of Umingan have PAGs.–LM
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