Kauswagan disqualified mayor storm protest, shoot protesters

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.

 

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

Supreme Court proclaimed Mayor Florante Capitan displayed
the court order with the media at the background

ne and hit the head of Candelaria and said “why are you here?” Candelaria replied “I want your mayor Arnado to step down because the real Mayor of Kauswagan is Mayor Florante Capitan!” No one complained for injuries on the side from the supporters of Arnado. Police and Military pacified the tension during that day. Both supporters were prohibited to assemble on the ground in front of the municipal hall to hold rallies. The Police and military conducted a dialogue and separated both supporters at about 100 meters apart to avoid physical confrontation.

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Another victim of the attacked by the CSUs wounded on his
two arms

 Former Lanao del Norte Provincial Board Member Casan Maquiling in his statement said that the court modified the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) because Florante Capitan assumed as Mayor of Kauswagan based on the Supreme court en banc decision dated August 18, 2015 with G.R. No. 210164, and finally decided and lifted the status quo ante order and Florante Capitan was the elected Mayor of Municipality of Kauswagan in 2013 local elections. Maquiling said that no need to have an implementing order from DILG because there is already a writ of execution from the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). In this context, Maquiling said the Supreme Court decision is very clear and quoted “Only natural-born Filipinos who owe total and undivided allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines could run for and hold elective public office.” Maquiling said he started as one of the complainants of the same case in 2010 elections as mayoralty candidate and same disqualification case of Arnado’s candidacy in 2010 elections and the Supreme Court proclaimed Maquiling as the duly elected Mayor of Kauswagan in 2010 elections. Maquiling said that the disqualification of Rommel Arnado in 2013 elections was the second time he was disqualified by the Supreme Court.

 

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.     

 

Media interview with mayor Florante Capitan

In statement from Lt. Col. Leomar Jose Doctolero, Battalion Commander of the 15^th 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.