Soldiers deployed in Pangasinan's 6th district; nothing political, says poll exec

DAGUPAN CITY , Philippines  – The provincial election supervisor said there is nothing political in the deployment of 24 soldiers in the sixth district of Pangasinan, particularly in San Manuel town, amid apprehensions that former Armed Forces chief Hermogenes Esperon Jr., who is running for congressman there, might use them.

Lawyer Reddy Balarbar told local newsmen yesterday that when a certain Col. Bongcawil from the Army’s 701st Infantry Brigade broached to him the idea of deploying two teams of soldiers in the sixth district, he immediately approved it.

“There’s nothing political in it only that there are some who are giving color to it, but they have their mandate and I have already warned them,” he said.

Among other reasons, Balarbar said the San Roque Multi-purpose Dam in San Manuel town needs to be secured.

He said four towns in the sixth district – San Manuel, San Nicolas, Umingan, and Balungao – are associated with private armies.

Balarbar added that the election officer in Sta. Maria town, which is part of the sixth district, was shot and wounded months ago.

He said the soldiers who were deployed would augment the police force in the district.

He said he has talked to their team leader and gave him their specific functions like assisting election officers conducting voters’ education, but not acting as security escorts of certain candidates.

“I have warned them not to involve themselves in partisan political activity,” he said. 

Balarbar said the soldiers could also help secure the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

There are apprehensions that Esperon, who is running for sixth district congressman against Vice Gov. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, might use the military personnel. 

“It’s different now. He (Esperon) is now a civilian and if people see these (military) men in the campaign sorties of a candidate, they should take photos and present them to me for proper actions,” Balarbar said.

He said he has brought up the matter to the regional election supervisor who sided with him.

Meanwhile, 104 members of the 1st Regional Public Safety Management Battalion of the Ilocos regional police and other Region 1 maneuver units left Camp Florendo in La Union yesterday morning for deployment to Sulu.

The contingent, composed of five commissioned officers and 99 non-commissioned officers, would augment Task Force “BAND-IT” in Sulu.

They will replace police officers from Regions 4-A (Calabarzon) and 8 (Eastern Visayas) who were deployed in Sulu last October.          – With Jun Elias