Zamboanga tweets ‘unconfirmed’ reports of looting by troops

From the Mindanao Examiner blog site (Oct 29): Zamboanga tweets ‘unconfirmed’ reports of looting by troops



A screen shot of the Twitter page of Zamboanga City Government which posted 'unconfirmed' reports of looting by troops in villages. (Mindanao Examiner Photo)


Things have turned for the worse for government soldiers deployed in villages in Zamboanga City after allegations of looting surfaced. Worst, the local government of Zamboanga has posted Tuesday on its Twitter account “unconfirmed” reports of the pillage

“Unconfirmed reports showed that soldiers carrying out the clearing operations were responsible for the looting incidents,” the local government said in its tweet.

Troops were deployed in several villages to search for remnants of Moro National Liberation Front rebels who stormed Zamboanga on September 9 that led to bloody street battles that lasted three weeks. Soldiers also cleared the villages for unexploded ordnances left behind during the fighting that killed and wounded over 400 people.

Alleged looting by soldiers was first reported by Council man BG Guingona, who claimed that troops, stole from their machinery shop and his uncle’s home at the height of the fighting in the village of Santa Catalina. He said the military has ordered an investigation into the looting.

“The matter is under investigation and the Armed Forces of the Philippines did a good job of responding right away. The acts of a few do not reflect the goal and the efforts of the entire AFP in promoting peace and order. It is unfair to generalize the issue because there are many soldiers risking their lives to protect the people. So, my faith in the AFP as a whole remains,” he told The Manila Times.

The Philippine Army has detained at least 5 soldiers - members of the 9th Infantry Battalion - who were accused of looting Guingona’s shop and house. They were arrested and disarmed after fellow soldiers reported the looting to their commander.

The soldiers allegedly ransacked the house of the Guingonas and took assorted jewelleries and other valuable things and also tried to open a vault left in the house. An army official, privy to the ongoing investigation, said the soldiers could be expelled from the service if they are proven guilty of all accusations against them, and eventually charge in a civil court.

The soldiers, whose battalion is under the 9th Infantry Division, were sent here from the Bicol region to help augment hundreds of troops fighting the rebels.

A school - the American Career Training Institute - used by another group of soldiers in attacking rebels in Santa Barbara was also looted, its American and Filipino owners said.

The Filipino owner, Norida Patrick, said they reported the matter to the police and military authorities and to Zamboanga Mayor Maria Isabelle Salazar, who sought an investigation into the looting. She said they were shocked to learn about the looting and claimed P300,000 in cash and equipment were missing and even the vault had been broken.

Troops managed to enter the school after its security guard allowed them to go at the rooftop where military snipers positioned themselves to take rebel targets. The looting is also being investigated by the authorities and so were many other complaints by displaced residents who recently returned to the village.

Villagers said many of their belongings, and even washing machines and freezer and computers were stolen. And they also blamed the soldiers for the pillage, but authorities insisted rebels were behind the looting after soldiers and policemen captured many of them with bags of jeweleries and cash and other valuables taken from the houses in the villages they occupied.
 

http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/10/zamboanga-tweets-unconfirmed-reports-of.html