Video file: An interview by the media people with former Lanao del Norte
Board member Casan Maquiling. Video report by Jun Enriquez
Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte (January 12, 2016) – in the past week tension heightened from the two camps of the local
political conflict between the group of the Supreme Court disqualified Mayor
Rommel Arnado and the Supreme Court proclaimed Mayor Florante Capitan. At
first, on January 4, it was a Monday, the two groups with their supporters
coalesced in front of the municipal hall of Kauswagan to defend Mayor Arnado to
step down from office due to the Supreme decision that he was disqualified to
hold office due to his American citizenship, while the group of supporters of
Capitan continued pressuring and chanting Arnado to step down. The supporters
of Arnado irked and some of his Civil security units (CSUs) reacted violently using short firearms cal. 45 and cal. 38, poked to the protesters against Arnado. Other
supporters of Arnado used stones thrown and hit to the same people. One of the
suspects of committed physical injuries was Romeo San Nicolas, one of the CSU
members of Arnado armed with cal. 45 and known to be an ex-convict identified
by the witnesses.
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| Supreme Court disqualified mayor Rommel Arnado |
Municipal councilor Vicente
Salvanera, a supporter of Capitan also complained that he was slapped in the
face by a fellow Municipal councilor Dura, but he was able to waive and was not
hit by the former, a supporter of Arnado. Other victims of physical injuries
during the attacked were Yoyon Hubas, Nestor Espina, Candelaria Cabarle and
other women in rally. Arnado’s supporters used steel pipes against the
rallyists and were able to hit the different parts of the body of the rallyists
including their head. Candelaria one of the victims recounted and identified sisters
Pinky Dapunan and Maricel “Inday” Alipio, Secretary of Mayor Arnado, used a
megapho
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| Supreme Court proclaimed Mayor Florante Capitan displayed the court order with the media at the background |
In his statement, Arnado said
that his case was still in the Supreme Court. He said that the initiative against
him was all baseless without any documents and the case in the Supreme Court still
to be resolved because there is no proper implementation by the Department of
Interior and Local Government (DILG). Arnado said on the protest rally against
him, “What they are doing is an illegal assembly which is charge to the case of
illegal assembly and public disturbance especially in peace and order, which
include the police of Munai who involved in the initiative as well.” Arnado
calls and advised the police and Military that they should be fair without
biases, they must play their role fair and square stay in the middle, they
should show it and action not to influence and be neutral to both parties. In a
radio interview, he said that he treated the people in Kauswagan equally.
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| Protesters against Arnado |
However, Municipal Councilor Jun
Ruelan said that there was no equal treatment of the members of Sangguniang
Bayan of Kauswagan because Arnado will not sign any travel orders for the four
councilors identified as opposition. Ruelan said that people in Lapayan and
Tacub formerly supporters of Arnado are now his number one political enemy due
to unfair treatment because these people were affected in the displacement of
their houses for the construction of the GN Power, a coal fired power plant
with ongoing construction in Tacub and Lapayan area. Ruelan said that the
Barangay Chairman of Barangay Libertad, Chairman Roble was suspended due to his
opposition with the people of Libertad to stop the quarry operation because
their Barangay is prone to flash floods happened many times and killing people
due to the said disaster. The people in Libertad and Tacub was a victim of
deception because during public consultation or public scoping Arnado said that
a solar power industry will be constructed in the area but later on it was a 540-megawatt
(MW) coal fired power plant construction and the people became flat-footed on
the issue.
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| Media interview of a victim from harassment |
Supreme Court proclaimed
Kauswagan Mayor Florante Capitan said that the people of Kauswagan assembled
peacefully and protested against Arnado to step down because the Supreme
decided that he is not the Mayor of Kauswagan because he is not a Filipino
citizen instead a US-American citizen based on the use of his US passport found
by the court not once but many times. Capitan said that Arnado has no business
to enter into the scene in Philippine politics under the constitution of the
Republic of the Philippines. Capitan said that only Filipino citizen has the
right to exercise political rights and he added “we should defend our constitution”.
Capitan said that Arnado harassed the protesters using his private armies with
guns in the guise of civil security units (CSUs) and some of the CSUs were
ex-convicts and former military. According to the Military and Police, the CSUs
are not allowed to carry firearms. A CSU illegally possessed firearms
identified by the witnesses was Romeo San Nicholas, an alleged ex-convict.
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| media interview with Municipal councilor Jun Ruelan (seated center) |
On the evening of January 9,
Saturday at around 10:30 in the evening, Arnado with his private armies
harassed the rallyists armed with short and high powered firearms sprayed
bullets to civilians at the venue of the rally hitting the women and elder
persons. The victims were Ceasar Salvanera 61, of Barangay Bagumbayan, was hit
in the ear. Lita Jagus 48, a resident of Lapayan, libertad was hit in the thigh
and Bengie Gutang 52, a resident of Lapayan, Libertad was hit in the leg. The
victims identified the suspects were Primitivo Magallanes and Warlito Alania,
both are residents of sitio Lapayan, Libertad of this town. The witnesses
recounted that Arnado led the 100 armed men more or less identified as members
of the CSUs and Civilian Armed Forces geographical Units (CAFGUs), armed with
short and high powered firearms, approached the group of rallyists supporters
of Capitan with a distance of 100 meters southeast from the municipal hall. Witnesses
said that Arnado bravely ordered his armed men and said “pamusila na sila!
pamatya na sila!”, meaning shoot them! kill them! Some witnesses observed that
Arnado was drunk when the shooting incident happened.
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| Kauswagan Municipal Hall |
Florante Capitan in a radio
interview at DXEJ FM, Iligan City, expressed dismayed over the shooting
incident that Arnado used force against the rallyists of women and elder
people. Capitan said that the victims will file formal complaint against Arnado
and his private armies on multiple frustrated murder, arson and obstruction to
private property. Capitan said that Arnado was the one in command of his
private armies with short and high powered firearms without license during the
attacked. Capitan also mentioned about the disqualification case that the DILG
should act with urgency on Supreme Court en banc resolution which disqualified
Arnado from holding office as Mayor of Kauswagan because he is a US-American
citizen not a Filipino citizen. Capitan said that it is very difficult to
achieve justice in any political situation if you are not under the current administration
party, the Liberal party. The suspected private armies are now nowhere to be
seen.
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| Another victim of the attacked by the CSUs wounded on his two arms |
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| Media interview with Lt. Col. Leomar Jose Doctolero |
The first disqualification of
Arnado was on April 16, 2013, the Supreme Court rendered its decision in
Maquiling. Voting 10-5, it annulled and set aside the Comelec En Banc’s February
2, 2011 resolution, disqualified Arnado from running for elective position ,
and declared Maquiling as the duly elected mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao del Norte
in the May 10, 2010 elections. In the said ruling, the majority of the members
of the Supreme Court opined that in his subsequent use of his US passport,
Arnado effectively disavowed or recalled his April 3, 2009 Affidavit of renunciation.
The second disqualification of
Arnado was in August 18, 2015 Supreme Court in its En Banc decision quoted, “In
fine, this court finds no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Comelec
En Banc in sustaining the resolution of the Comelec Second Division
disqualifying Arnado from running in the May 13, 2013 elections and in
accordingly setting aside his proclamation as elected mayor of Kauswagan, Lanao
del Norte and proclaiming Capitan as the duly elected mayor of said
municipality.” The instant petition of Arnado was dismissed by the Court and
the assailed Comelec Resolutions affirmed. The Status Quo Ante Order issued by
the Supreme Court in favor of Arnado is Lifted. Arnado was the petitioner versus
capitan and the Comelec, to acquire the Status Quo Ante Order.
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| Media interview with mayor Florante Capitan |
In statement from Lt. Col.
Leomar Jose Doctolero, Battalion Commander of the 15th Infantry
Battalion, Philippine Army based in Kauswagan said that the Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) role is just to support the Police, maintained neutral to
both parties between the Arnado and Capitan group of supporters and prevent
violence. He said that the DILG must intervene the political problem in Kauswagan
to resolve the tension once and for all because the people suffered. Doctolero in
his message to both parties said “be calm and bring it to a good conversation
so that we can achieve peace and unity in the locality.” However, a certain
Police Inspector Quieta, Acting chief of Police in Kauswagan cannot be reached
for comment for the many unknown reasons and scapegoats. With reports and photos by Malyne Gungob.
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