MANILA, Philippines - After fugitive retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan, military men accused of being involved in the disappearance of peasant leader Jonas Burgos and those behind the arrest of the so-called “Morong 43,” would be the next target of an alleged ongoing witch-hunt in the military, a senior military official said Friday.
“We in the active service know that there is an ongoing witch-hunt. Do you think this will stop with Palparan? The ones who are next are those accused of involvement in the Jonas Burgos and Morong 43 cases,” he said.
The officer said that even if Palparan, now in hiding, is put behind bars, key leftist personalities in government will continue to demonize him to destroy the military as an organization.
He said the wanted posters of Palparan still in military uniform, distributed to hasten his arrest, is already enough proof to show that certain quarters are out to demonize not only Palparan, but the entire military organization.
The official warned the government that if the military is hard-pressed by the witch-hunt, the government should be ready for the consequences.
The officer issued this statement after an association of active generals and flag officers issued a manifesto calling certain quarters to stop exploiting the Palparan case at the expense of the entire military.
Leftist groups have tagged the military as the abductors of Burgos, who was snatched by unidentified armed men at a restaurant along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City in April 2007.
Leftist groups likewise accused Army troops of illegally arresting and detaining the so-called Morong 43, whom they claimed were not rebels but rural health workers.
---------------------------------------
By Jaime Laude The Philippine Star Updated January 01, 2012 12:00 AM
No comments:
Post a Comment