Declared persona non grata Battalion head, another Army exec hit for military offenses

By Eva Visperas

BINMALEY, Pangasinan    The municipal council assailed last week two officials of the Philippine Army for refusing to shed light on alleged offenses committed by the military on a beach here.

Mayor Simplicio Rosario said he signed a resolution declaring Lt. Col. Edgardo Batenga, chief of the Army's 70th Infantry Battalion (IB), and Capt. LaurencioPanit Jr. persona non grata.

The 70th IB is located at Camp Andres Malong Army Reservation in Barangay San Isidro Norte in this town.

The camp is located near a beach, where the alleged “militarization” reportedly occurred.

Rosario said due process was observed, there was a complaint and the municipal council invited the Army officers thrice to the hearing.

Earlier, the local government officials and the Army officers figured in a dispute regarding the dumping of garbage by the municipal government at the Army reservation site.

Rosario said the invitation of the municipal council was not about garbage, noting the matter has been resolved.

“The issue here is the militarization on the beach. The people are threatened,” he said.

Rosario said he had been receiving complaints that militiamen were brandishing firearms as they roamed the area.

Fishermen complained that the Army prevented them from entering the area.

Rosario said the beach area would be improved once the baywalk project of Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil reaches it.

He said local officials are willing to lift the persona non grata declaration against Panit “but not on Batenga.”

Batenga said he was willing to meet local officials on neutral ground.

He accused the Sangguniang Bayan of berating representatives he sent in his behalf to the session.

Two other invitations were sent to Batenga but he refused to attend.

Batenga said he was in Davao when he was first invited to the session and he sent Panit as his representative.

He sent a letter to the council explaining why he could not attend the session, but the legislators apparently wanted his presence. 

“The bottomline of this is our environment preservation project, which is about tons of garbage dumped at the camp by the municipal government,” Batenga said.

He said he sent his civil military operations officer, Capt. Lubonin Bangoc, to represent him in the session, but the legislators reportedly humiliated him.

He shrugged off the council resolution declaring him persona non grata.