Jamby grills soldiers on abuses
ROXAS CITY – Sen. Jamby Madrigal of the Senate committee on cultural minorities has grilled soldiers on the alleged military abuses committed by the 47th Infantry Battalion of 3rd Infantry Division (3ID) during the public hearing last Sunday at the Capiz provincial capitol here.
Madrigal got irked after learning that Charito Caspillo, an alleged amazon, was hit in an encounter with trainee soldiers last May 6 and died May 13 at Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital.
Caspillo along with Jason Eulalio, 47, all of Rizal Sur, Tapaz, Capiz engaged in an alleged encounter with the Army trainees last May 6.
However, the woman turned out to be a civilian who was killed in an encounter with the soldiers.
During the hearing, Jason Eulalio's father surfaced and said that his son and Charito are not members of the New People’s Army (NPA).
According to him, before the encounter Jason and Charito, while on their way home saw a group of non-uniformed men suspected as members of tribu Aklanon who are enemy of tribu Panayanon.
He said that Jason got his 12-gauge homemade shotgun at their house and fired at them however, they returned fire hitting Jason. Charito, upon learning that Jason was hit, sought refuge to the banana plantation.
The father said that soldiers shot Charito and when the latter was hit, she shouted to identify herself as a civilian and raised her hands however, the soldier still fired at her. She suffered two gunshot wounds at different parts of her body.
Arlyn Catamin, a Tumandok spokeperson, also shared similar tories regarding the civilian ordeal in the hands of the military.
Capt. Rey Besa, Asst. G7, 3ID, who represented in behalf of the PA, said that military brought the victims in the hospital after the encounter.
He clarified that the government troops were the ones who took care of the victims until in the hospital the following morning.
Besa said that Charito was not pregnant as earlier reported when she undergone ultrasound at Capiz Doctors’s Hospital, however, when Madrigal verified it, Besa has not supported his claim that the woman was not indeed pregnant.
Since the statement during the Senate hearing was under oath, Besa was forced by Madrigal to retract his previous statement or else the latter will charge him of perjury.
According to Madrigal, soldiers are liars who must be condemned adding that she will block the promotion of Besa in the military hierarchy.
Madrigal also warned that soldiers who are proven guilty for civilian abuses shall be charged to the fullest extent of the law.
She also urged Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr. to conduct an autopsy for Charito and make steps to protect civilians from military abuses.
The hearing was also attended by Gabriella, Bayan Muna, Tumandok representative and other left-leaning Non-Organization Group (NGO) and other government agencies.