Abolish the PASG

by Ducky Paredes
from MALAYA

‘Mangila admitted that of the 10 apprehended, three are PASG operatives. He was silent about the seven others.’
– Ducky Paredes

WHAT do Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, Jr. Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III. Jose “Joe” Taruc have in common? These are three individuals with widely disparate backgrounds.

Danding is chairman of corporate giant San Miguel Corporation and founder of the Nationalist Citizens Party (NCP). A very rich man, really. He is also the uncle of two presidential candidates – Benigno “Noynoy” Cojuangco Aquino III of the Liberal Party and Gilbert “Gibo” Cojuangco Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi CMD.

Greggy is a scion of the equally wealthy Araneta clan and while he is the husband of Irene Marcos, daughter and youngest child of President Ferdinand Marcos, he seems to be a very private person.

Joe is the famous broadcaster with that unique, sonorous voice who is now a senatorial candidate of the Lakas-Kampi CMD.

I am assuming here that they are the same persons I know. Unless, of course, I am terribly mistaken.

So why am I mentioning them in this piece? Because of a very strange thing that they seem to have in common. The three of them are listed as agents or operatives of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG). This is according to official documents that the PASG sent to the Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel (CBFSP) of the Commission on Elections. The documents, which asked for the exemption of PASG personnel from the firearms ban, contained the roster of its agents and operatives and were signed either by PASG chief Antonio Villar Jr. or his deputy, Gen. Danilo Mangila.

Why would Danding Cojuangco and Greggy Araneta apply to be appointed as agents of the anti-smuggling agency, a position that must carry a monthly pay of P20,000 at best and is looked on with derision by most? To secure personal exemptions from the firearms ban? I can assure you that the real Danding and the real Greggy have no need for that.

As for Joe Taruc, he is a broadcast journalist of long standing and it is very possible that he may have earned the ire of certain people in the practice of his profession. It is not unthinkable that he may have acquired a gun or two for his own protection. But I believe he can secure a Comelec exemption on his own recognizance, without going through the pretense of being an agent of this highly controversial agency that has been repeatedly accused of harassment and extortion by local and foreign businessmen.

Of course, certain unscrupulous parties may have simply used their names, which is not improbable judging from the anomalies that Comelec uncovered in connection with PASG’s request for gun ban exemptions.

In its January 11, 2010 request for exemptions for instance, the PASG submitted a list of 10 supposed operatives, namely: Clemente Olaivar, Jose Olaivar III, Jesus Olaivar, Cesar Camiso, Rosalino Gulle, Jesus Olandria, Egay Dy, Danny Dologmanding, Benjamin Agliam and Abraham Borinaga.

However, the Comelec received reports that these people, all residents of Candijay, Bohol, are not regular plantilla personnel of the PASG. They were apprehended by police on Feb. 2 but presented Certificates of Authority exempting them from the gun ban. Upon request of Candijay Mayor Sergio Amora, the Comelec asked the PASG to submit their appointments and payrolls indicating that they are indeed PASG agents.

In his reply, Mangila admitted that of the 10 apprehended, three are PASG operatives. He was silent about the seven others. Yet he had the insolence to castigate police authorities when he said thus: “Upon verification with our records, it appears that Danny S. Dologmanding, Benjamin B. Agliam and Abraham G. Borinaga are in fact operatives of PASG. It is quite unfortunate that despite presentation of proper identification and Certificate of Authority, said operatives were still apprehended and their membership in the group questioned by members of the Candijay PNP.”

Talk about gall!. And what about the seven other fake PASG operatives in the list you submitted to the Comelec, General Mangila?

A similar case of anomalous use of the agency to cover illegal requests for gun exemptions was uncovered when a certain Cecilia Claire Reyes asked the CBSFP to verify the status of supposed PASG agents identified as Romeo Bulos Mariano, Carmelito Lopez Cagayan and Roderick Rubia, all of Alicia, Isabela. These three always carry long and short firearms and whenever questioned at check points, they show IDs issued by the PASG and are let go by the police.

Reyes also said there are many other unidentified men who are wearing PASG jackets and pins. She said “they are close-in security of Mayor Napoleon Dy of Alicia, Isabela, his wife Ana Cecilia Dy and son, councilor Ian Paul Dy.”

Even more damning is the revelation that Mariano is facing criminal charges for the death of a certain SPO3 Jonathan Buan but is out on bail.

In view of these complaints, the CBSFP decided to investigate. It said that after verification of its records and due evaluation of the veracity of the complaints, “there exists a well founded belief that there are private individuals listed in the roster submitted to the CBFSP who are not occupying plantilla positions in the PASG.”

In the meantime, a CBSFP Order was issued March 3, 2010 suspending the January 11, 2010 Authority issued to the PASG that exempted the agency from the gun ban and authorized its personnel to bear, carry, and transport firearms during the election period.

The suspension took effect March 8, 2010. The Order was signed by Comelec Commissioner Lucenito Tagle as CBSFP chairman, and AFP Brig. General Rolando C. Hautea, Jr. and PNP Chief Superintendent Arnold R. Revilla as members.

The Order directed Villar and Mangila to file a verified answer to the CBFSP Secretariat on the complaints of Reyes and Candijay Mayor Amora within seven days from receipt of the Order. It also directed the PASG to submit within the same period, “the certified true copies of the appointments of their elements/operatives, identify from what agency they are attached, payrolls covering the period of December 2009 to February 2010 duly attested and certified by the Finance Officer of the PASG.”

Significantly, the CBSFP reminded PASG of Section 2 of Executive Order No. 264 which created the agency. This provision specifies that: “The PASG shall be composed of elements from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), National Food Authority (NFA), Philippine Maritime Authority (MARINA), Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Philippine Navy (PN) and Bureau of Customs (BOC) as well as from other government agencies that may be needed by the PASG in the performance of its functions, as may be determined by the Head of PASG.”

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