Monday, July 21, 2008 Gov't troops respect schools' sanctity By Bong Garcia
THE Army's 10th Infantry Battalion (IB) denied allegations that its troops are occupying public schools as shelter during military offensive in its area of operations.
"It is inherent for the troops to observe the sanctity of the school, taking into consideration the safety of students and teachers while performing its mandated tasks of assisting other stakeholders in the pursuit of peace and development in the region, especially in remote areas," 10th IB Public Affairs Office head Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Decapia said.
At present, Decapia said troops under Task Force Davao headed by Colonel Rainier Cruz were deployed in different far-flung villages of Toril District, Davao City to conduct community service programs.
Decapia said as a matter of procedure, the troops are required to coordinate with village officials to explain their presence and activities they will conduct in a particular village.
Cruz emphasized to his subordinate commanders in the area to spare the schools from being used as patrol bases.
He said it is the village officials who provided the temporary patrol bases of the troops.
The soldiers normally stay at village halls or health centers upon the offer of the village officials, Cruz said.
Sirawan village chief Majid Lumpapac meantime said the soldiers paid a courtesy call on him "when they initially arrived in our barangay."
"I immediately called on my barangay constituents and we had a pulong-pulong. It was raining so hard during that time so I offered one of the abandoned classrooms as their temporary shelter" Lumpapac said.
Lumpapac said he first sought the approval of the assistant principal and the teachers of the National Reconciliation Development Program Elementary School before making the offer to the troops.
He said "there was no complaint from the village officials, local populace, and teachers regarding the matter."
"Of course, I have to relocate the soldiers in due time after I have already identified a more humane place to shelter them," he said.
Lumpapac lamented that the issue against the soldiers reached the provincial authorities without it getting brought to the attention of village officials.
Lieutenant Colonel Rolando Bautista, spokesman of the Army's 10th Infantry Division (ID), said the command gave guidance to all field commanders and soldiers to refrain from locating their temporary patrol bases in school premises and house of worships as embodied under Geneva Convention in Protocol I, Article 53 and Protocol II, Article 16.
Bautista also said the military troops bring nothing but peace in the region.
He assured the public that the 10th ID strictly adheres to the rules of engagement and respect for human rights in all its undertakings.
