RETIRED Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan
yesterday said the deployment of 14 Army soldiers involved in
the "takeover" of the Consolidated Mines Inc. compound in
Masinloc, Zambales last April 29 was approved by 7th Infantry
Division chief Brig. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, commander of the
Army in Central Luzon.
He said Villanueva cleared the deployment at
the request of Faith Investment House (FIH) which bought the
mining firm CMI. He said this was according to FHI and the PNP
Criminal Investigation and Detection Group.
Palparan said his security agency, 24-Hour
Security Provider, had been hired by FIH to consolidate its
property and that he only issued orders to his security guards
and not to the soldiers. He said the soldiers were backups who
were supposed to serve as blocking force outside the CMI
compound while the CIDG flushed out the armed men inside who
were "identified with a businessman with dealings with CMI or
Zambales governor Amor Deloso."
He said the soldiers only entered the
compound because they were open targets where they were.
Palparan said Deloso’s group later arrived
and took custody of at least 10 armed men the CIDG had arrested.
He said the governor asked his security guards to leave the
compound but he refused. Later, he said two teams from the
police and the Army assaulted the compound with clearance from
Villanueva.
Reports later quoted Villanueva as saying
that the 7th ID was deceived into deploying soldiers to
accompany the group of Palparan in taking over the mining firm.
The AFP last Wednesday ordered the soldiers involved in the
assault restricted and investigated but admitted it no longer
has jurisdiction over the retired Palparan.
Palparan said there is nothing irregular with
soldiers acting as backup. He said he is willing to give a
statement to Army investigators. "I did not commit any
wrongdoing. But I think Gen. Villanueva, Col. (Philip) Lapinid
(the battalion commander) and the provincial director (of the
PNP) and the governor must be investigated also."
He said he feels the initial entry of the soldiers in the
compound was legitimate but he wants their actions inside the
compound investigated since what they assaulted was private
property. – Victor Reyes
