Nolcom commander urges filing of charges vs soldiers

The most senior military commander in Northern Luzon assured the public yesterday that he will not condone any wrongdoing of his men even as he encouraged victims of the perceived soldiers’ abuses to come forward and file the necessary charges in court.

The military’s Northern Luzon Command dares leftist groups to file charges instead of launching propaganda campaigns blaming them for the mysterious disappearance of cause-oriented group leader James Balao three weeks ago in La Trinidad, Benguet.

“In a spirit of fairness and equality,” Nolcom Commander Lieutenant General Isagani Cachuela urged Baguio left-leaning groups to file charges in court as he tagged “search” campaigns by the Baguio-based Cordillera Peoples Alliance are “demolition campaigns” where “the accused have no chance to defend themselves.”

Based on the account of desaperacidos, a group composed of families of victims of forced disappearances, armed men believed to be elements of the 24th Infantry Battalion for­cibly took two peasant organizers in Bataan – Nelson Balmana and Florencia Espiritu on Sept. 21 and 22, respectively.   

On Sept. 17, James Balao, founder and organizer of the Cordillera People’s Alliance was also reported missing and the CPA leadership pointed to the Intelligence Service Unit of the military as the culprit.

The Commission on Human Rights-Cordillera Administrative Region already wrote to the AFP Human Rights Office for possible intervention in relation to this incident.   

Cachuela said that he is very much willing to support any official investigation on the matter if there are pieces of evidence to probe that some of his men were indeed involved in these crimes.

But Cachuela said that like any other citizen of this country, the (soldiers) are also entitled to due process.   

“They have to face the consequences of their actions in the proper forum, if indeed, they committed any form of abuse in the community,” Cachuela said.

International and RP-based groups had taken cognizance of Balao’s unexplained disappearance including the US Embassy and national and local government officials in Baguio City.

But Nolcom spokesman Major Rosendo Armas said leftist groups’ bombarding the media and internet with unfounded and pernicious accusations is detrimental to the entire AFP organization.

Cachuela stressed, “if there are evidences, legally and technically to prove that our soldiers committed any wrongdoings, I am very much willing to support any investigation on this matter.”

He added that he will not tolerate any erring soldier under his Command. “They have to face the consequences of their actions, if indeed they committed any form of abuse in the community.” – With Charlie Lagasca, Ric Sapnu