Angry solon holds military budget over ‘HR violations’

MANILA, Philippines – At 5:30 am on Wednesday, September 24, Gabriela Representative Luzviminda Ilagan, who was livid over the military’s alleged human rights violations in Abra in early September, successfully deferred the second reading approval of the P144-billion ($3.2-billion*) budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“Pending the compliance of the military to these two requests, I move to defer the approval of,” Ilagan declared in a raised voice before the plenary, but before she could finish her motion, presiding officer Quezon City Jorge “Bolet” Banal suspended the session, and later, the deliberations on the DND and AFP budget.

No help came for the defense and military officials, who were in full force at the plenary, to support Manila Representative Zenaida Angping in defending their budget. At 5:30 am, there were only about a dozen solons left – mostly members of the leftist Makabayan bloc – and the matter couldn’t be put to a vote without a quorum.

Ilagan, who followed 5 other colleagues in the leftist Makabayan bloc in grilling the defense budget since deliberations started midnight Wednesday, detailed the alleged human rights violations of the military in the Cordillera Region.

She zoomed in on the death of a Recca Noelle Monte, who died in the early September military operation in Lacub town where troops allegedly used civilians as human shields as they pursued top New People’s Army (NPA) officials.

The leftist lawmakers have always taken advantage of the budget hearings – perhaps the only opportunity to demand the military to explain reports of the troops’ human rights abuses. 

The military, for its part, has committed to immediately end the 4-decades-old communist insurgency so it can focus on territorial defense.

“It is my position that it is the responsibilty of this House as part of its power of the purse to ensure that the budget of DND will not be used to violate human rights and international humanitarian law. It is also about time that the DND and AFP take seriously the issues of human rights raised against the military establishment and not just brush them aside with sweeping denials and public avowals about a new AFP,” she said. 

The armed forces considers the operation conducted September 4 to 5 as a “major tactical victory” that supposedly caused a “setback to the ranks of the NPA.”

The military reported a total of 8 NPA rebels killed, including high ranking rebel commanders operating in the region. Several firearms were also reportedly recovered: M653 rifles, M14 rifle, M16 rifles, AK47, Garand and Cal .45 Pistol among others.

Members of the 41st Infantry Battalion of the 5th Infantry Division received medals for the “successful campaign.” The Gold Cross Medal was awarded to Second Lietenant Joe Mari S Landicho, the head of the operating troops, and the Bronze Cross Medal  to Lieutenant Colonel Rogelio Noora, Commanding Officer of 41st IB.

But an emotional Ilagan lambasted the military’s celebration and  presented in plenary the details of an autopsy report conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on the death of Monte, one of those supposedly killed in combat in Lacub, Abra.

The military maintained it was a legitimate combat operation. But the autopsy report that Ilagan read showed that Monte died from torture and sustained no gunshot wound.

“The family of the victim is crying for justice. The family had the body autopsied by the NBI and what does the report state? She had no gunshot wounds but she was full of marks of extreme physical torture, beatings using blunt objects,” Ilagan said, and then read the horrific details in the autopsy report. 

This was when Ilagan began to argue in favor of holding the DND and AFP budget. She made two demands:

• For the Philippine Army to submit the report on the military operation conducted on September 4-5
• Bring Second Lieutenant Jose Mari Landicho, the head of the operating troops, and Lieutenant Colonel Rogelio Noora, commanding officer of the 41st IB, to the plenary hall to explain the deah of Rica Noel Monte 

The DND and AFP officials are expected to return for another day of grilling on Friday, September 25. – Rappler.com

$1 = P44.5