Army officer says San Jorge mayor is misinformed

By ROMMEL L. RUTOR
September 7, 2006

SAN JORGE, Samar  – Defending his part over the series of contentions placing him in the limelight of the political row in this town, LtCol. Glorivine Dida, Commanding Officer of the 34th Infantry Battalion here, spoke to media recently, and vehemently denied all of Mayor Joseph Grey’s assumptions that he is cuddling the alleged political ploys of this town’s Vice-Mayor Marcelina Yu.

LtCol. Dida expressed disappointment over the inability of this town’s chief executive to validate the information that are being relayed to him by his men, saying that he is not getting the right information which eventually leads provoking circumstances, and eventually destroying the supposed good rapport of the military and the LGU.

The army officer cited the recent complaint of Mayor Grey pertaining to the jotting down of the plate number of his new vehicle which landed in the town’s police logbook the other week.

“Pina-imbistigahan ko ang sundalo ko, and I learned na galing talaga sa munisipyo si Pfc. Alap-ap kasi may ipina-rehistro siya, pero nung nasa labas na siya nagti-text siya at siguro, over acting na iyong mga tao ni Mayor at akala e sinusulat na niya ang numero ng plaka”, he explained.

The heating rift between the LGU chief and the Officers of the 34th IB here is gaining grounds when Mayor Joseph Grey, ultimately send in his letter request asking for the immediate relief of the 34th IB’s top officers to the AFP chief, Secretary of National Defense, CENTCOM Chief and to the 8th Infantry Division command in Camp Lukban. Catbalogan, Samar.

LtCol. Dida likewise revealed that the LGU with instructions from Mayor Grey is brewing up an SB resolution for the ejection of the 34th IB headquarters from its present site in Brgy. Erenas, this town.

“I am very much frustrated of the turn of events, pero okey lang talagang ganun, ang panawagan ko lang naman kay Mayor na sana e wag siya basta basta magpapaniwala sa mga taong nakapaligid sa kanya, kasi hindi niya alam isinu-suong na siya ng sarili niyang mga tao sa mga hindi tamang kundisyon”, LtCol. Dida said.

But when asked on his comment on the petition of Mayor Grey, the army officer told that Mayor should have specifically pointed out his accusations saying that would make his letter substantial and further told that he should have furnished MGen. Jovito Palparan a copy of it for information.

On the contention of political partisanship, LtCol. Dida clarified that the staff of the Operation Blessing of the 700 Club has the final say as to the operation of its projects is concerned in the said locality, “and our role is just to see to it that they would be able to implement their concerns without jeopardizing their safety being the primary partner of this NGO in their civic programs”, LtCol. Dida informed.

He clarified likewise that the staff of the 700 Club went to see the Mayor twice to coordinate the Operation Blessing Well Projects, but accordingly Mayor Grey was out in that two instances, thus, forcing the said NGO to get in the nod and acknowledgement of this town’s vice-mayor, being the second highest elective official.

“And iyong sinasabi niya na security details sa bahay ng vice-mayor, hindi naman para kay vice-mayor iyon, nagkata-on na ang ibang mga tao ng Operation Blessing ay dun sa bahay ng vice-mayor naka-bilet, natural na maglagay kami ng sundalo dun for security reasons”, he explained, adding that the Light Armored Vehicle that was said to be part of the complaint as being used to secure the barangay visits of the vice-mayor was only used once, but not for the vice-mayor but during the road inspection visit of Gov. Milagrosa T. Tan to Brgy. Mobo-ob, a remote barangay of this town.

The army officer likewise denied the allegations that he, together with vice-mayor Marcelino Yu allegedly is plotting a political demolition job against the Mayor by consolidating adverse documents such as a copy of the alleged warrant of arrest against a certain Stephen Grey, which is wanted for Murder in Manila and other papers which attributes adversities to the first family of this town.

Allegedly, Stephen Grey is a son of the Mayor and subsequently LtCol. Dida showed the media a copy of the warrant dated August 10, 2005, but quick to inform that the said warrant was only handed to them by the CIDG for information purposes and to assist the police in tipping them once the said wanted person is sighted.

He likewise retorted back on the allegations of the army’s involvement in the killings of Mayor Grey’s identified supporters, citing the circumstance of the death of Danilo Adona alias “Wangbu”, which was found dead in a rice field wrapped up in a “banig” allegedly coming from the house of Mayor Grey.