US soldier held by gun ban enforcers

GENERAL SANTOS CITY — An American soldier is reportedly in hot water after being caught with a handgun in a bar by personnel of the Task Force Gensan, which is enforcing the gun ban during the election period.

Col. Vicente Porto, 1002nd Army Brigade commander, said his men turned over Master Sgt. Steve Saunders to the 6th Infantry Division in Cotabato City, where the American’s unit is also based.

Saunders, a US Air Force personnel and member of the United Nations humanitarian forces, was in the city to monitor housing projects somewhere in Barangay Bawing.

Porto said the Task Force Gensan led by Col. Medardo Geslani had taken the American into custody soon after he was caught in possession of a .9mm pistol while on a drinking spree Wednesday inside the Cassado Bar located at East Asia Royal Hotel.

"He was already brought to their base in Cotabato City where his higher ups will act accordingly on the reported incident," Porto told The STAR.

However, Capt. Edgar Biadora, the civil-military operations officer of the 1002nd, said the arrest of Saunders came after members of Task Force Gensan responded to information that there was a commotion inside the bar involving the American and a certain Henry Araneta, correspondent of dzRH.

"Mukhang nagkainitan ‘yong dalawa sa loob ng bar," Biadora said.

Biadora said though Saunders and Araneta had already talked at the Task Force Gensan headquarters, the incident might result in Saunders’ deportation or he may face administrative sanction.

In an interview, Araneta said that he was mauled by Saunders inside the bar while he was drinking with some fellow media practitioners who that same night had taken oath as officers and members of the brigade’s press corps.

"I was really shocked when he suddenly beat my head with his fist from behind while I was listening to the music played by a live band," Araneta told The STAR.

Araneta added that Saunders cried and apologized to him as witnessed by Col. Porto and Geslani.

On the other hand, lawyer Michael Abas, regional director of the Commission on Elections in Central Mindanao, said he has yet to receive a written report from his election registrar regarding the incident.

"I’m still waiting for the formal report of my people before we will act on it although I’ve already received that information from our media friends," Abas said.

But Abas quickly warned that if indeed the report was true, he will not hesitate to file necessary charges against Saunders for violating the election gun ban.

"There will be no exemption in the enforcement of the gun ban whoever will be found violating especially that he is a foreigner," Abas warned.

In Manila, the US Embassy clarified yesterday reports that an American serviceman was jailed and charged in Mindanao because of a dispute with a local resident, saying it was a "minor" incident.

Press attaché Matthew Lussenhop declined to identify the US serviceman involved with a local in a karaoke bar on Wednesday, his unit in the military and the activities he was taking part in in General Santos City.

"Nobody was arrested and charged. There was a dispute with a local resident so the police were there, but the military personnel apologized. That’s the end of story," Lussenhop said in a telephone interview.

But sources within the military said Saunders was arrested following a spat with a local journalist in a beer garden.

A military officer however described the incident as "nothing significant." - With Pia Lee-Brago, Jaime Laude