Militants want role of Rep. Dalog, PNP investigated: Probe pushed on Paracelis gun case

By Gina Dizon

PARACELIS, Mountain Province – Katribu and concerned individuals urged government offices to conduct speedy and full investigation on the controversial gun ban case here wherein the name of the son of Rep. Maximo Dalog was allegedly excluded from a police report.

Preliminary investigation has still to be done on the case filed earlier at the provincial fiscal’s office in Bontoc, Mountain Province but assigned later to the office of Baguio prosecutor Elmer Sagsago by the regional state prosecutor.

Bontoc residents Fangkingan Hewan, Mariano Yawan, and Floricel Miing were arrested earlier at Sitio Ampekla, Barangay Bunot in Paracelis for allegedly violating the Commission on Election’s gun ban law by carrying six high powered firearms loaded in three cars on May 11.

Meanwhile, the Mountain Province Chapter of Katribu and Cordillera Peoples Alliance and individuals appealed for an investigation on the events surrounding the direct or indirect involvement of new congressman Maximo Dalog for violation of provisions of the Election Law against terrorism, violation of his oath of candidacy to obey all laws of the Philippine Republic and disregard of the candidates’ covenant on peaceful and clean elections which Dalog personally signed.

They said a “whitewash” on the case is unacceptable.

Calling for rule of law to prevail in Mountain Province, said letter was forwarded to offices of chairman Jose Melo of the Commission on Elections, Philippine National Police Director General Jesus Versoza, Lt Gen.Nestor Ochoa of the Philippine Army, Director Nestor Mantaring of the National Bureau of Investigation and the Cordillera Human Rights Alliance to investigate the arrest and release of those involved in the incident in Bunot wherein army personnel reportedly confiscated Bushmaster Cal. 5.56 reportedly owned by Rep. Dalog and a 92 FS Pietro Beretta Cal. 9mm accordingly issued to police Insp. Dexter Mariano Paredes.

Signatories also called for an investigation of why all occupants of the three confiscated cars were not arrested and named in the Paracelis police report despite apparently controllable situations.

The appeal signed by individuals Juliet Palicos from Sabangan, Agnes Acofo from Bontoc, Brenda Fuchay from Sagada, Christopher Sally from Bauko, Ernesto Gunday from Paracelis, Mountain Province chapters of Katribu and CPA would also like to know why elements of the PNP and the Philippine Army are, by their actions, trying to prevent linking Rep. Dalog by not arresting the governor’s son, Clarence Dalog, and derailing the rule of law by not filing the necessary affidavits of arrest which led to the eventual release of the suspects.

Signatories asked why Clarence Dalog and other John Does were not included among those arrested and named in the police report as the perpetrators, and not charged despite glaring instances like his presence in one of the apprehended cars.

Signatories wanted to know why the arresting officers did not sign affidavits of arrest which eventually resulted to the release of the three arrested, and why they refused to turn over the confiscated firearms to the PNP.

Said case eventually led to arresting officer 2Lt Alvin Dagondon of the 54th IB of the Philippine Army to file charges of violation of the Election Code and Presidential Decree 1866 on illegal possession of firearms against Fangkingan, Yawan, Miing and police Insp. Dexter Mariano Paredes on May 20.

The letter- appeal reiterated the resolution signed by around 6,000 signatories from the ten municipalities of this province urging the PNP, AFP, NBI and concerned agencies to “stop a whitewash” and conduct a speedy and full blown investigation on said case.