MAYOR Eric C. Codilla expressed his dismay that officers of 802nd Infantry (Peerless) Brigade allowed themselves to be used by a politician specifically Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez. The mayor aired his disappointment when the army placed number tags on houses in Camp Jorge Downes bearing the congresswoman’s name.
Army officials say the number tags are part of an inventory of illegal households within the military reservation for monitoring purposes to prevent their proliferation. But other than the serial numbers, the tags are also printed with the phrase “Donated by Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez.”
Mayor Codilla doesn’t understand why the 802nd IB had to participate in local politics which is now heating up with the coming election. “Mura’g nawad-an ko’g respeto nila nga pagkakita nako nga namolitika sila,” he said. “Abi nako neutral ang army, nagpagamit man sila.”
He added that the army is not compelled to promote Rep. Gomez’s name even with her assistance in producing the tags. A machine of the city government was used to laminate the tags but the mayor didn’t ask that his name be promoted. “Pagkakita to nako sa house tag nga nay sponsored by Congresswoman, nakaingon kong porbida, gikarga-karga diay ko sa army niini,” he said.
Mayor Codilla apologized to the barangay folk when he appeared to be neutral as he was trying patch things up between them and the army. “Nagtuo man ko nga tinarong ang sa army, yinabag man diay to, pinolitika man diay tong ila.” It now appears that the 802nd IB is promoting Rep. Gomez at the expense of the residents, he added.
Mayor Codilla added that he doesn’t mind if the 802nd IB cover the barangay with Rep. Gomez’s name so long as they leave the residents alone. “Na hala, ipaputos tanang Camp Downes og ngalang sa inyong congresswoman diha, dili lang n’yo labtan ang kabutang sa mga taga-Camp Downes.
“Bisa’g ngalan sa congresswoman ibutang sa kada poste, kada balay, kada kanal, kada punoan. Hala, hutdon ta na kay kahibaw ra bat a sa atong congresswoman mao man pud na ang iyang kalipay, kanang ilang tarpaulin,” Mayor Codilla went on.
The mayor also branded Camp Commander Lt. Col. Edgardo P. Batinga as a trouble maker. “Di ko maayo’g buot sa 802nd karon kay kung nay activity ang syudad, di ko gyud na sila imbitaron. Kung naa sila, papaulion ko sila. Mura’g wa pa ko mahimutang nang ilang kalaki,” he said.
Aside from having been politicized, barangay officials are questioning why residents are made to sign a paper during the tagging. Kag. Marilou B. Gayon said at a meeting with residents last July 14 that gathering signatures wasn’t part of their agreement with the army.
“Ayaw kamo pagpamirma kay tingali ang inyong pirma gamiton lang kadto nga butangan nga ugma dayon papahawaon na mo. Basin kadtong gitagingan unang papahawaon kay gipapirmahan nga nitando mo. Ayaw mong pagpa-ilad!” she warned.
Army officials say the number tags are part of an inventory of illegal households within the military reservation for monitoring purposes to prevent their proliferation. But other than the serial numbers, the tags are also printed with the phrase “Donated by Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez.”
Mayor Codilla doesn’t understand why the 802nd IB had to participate in local politics which is now heating up with the coming election. “Mura’g nawad-an ko’g respeto nila nga pagkakita nako nga namolitika sila,” he said. “Abi nako neutral ang army, nagpagamit man sila.”
He added that the army is not compelled to promote Rep. Gomez’s name even with her assistance in producing the tags. A machine of the city government was used to laminate the tags but the mayor didn’t ask that his name be promoted. “Pagkakita to nako sa house tag nga nay sponsored by Congresswoman, nakaingon kong porbida, gikarga-karga diay ko sa army niini,” he said.
Mayor Codilla apologized to the barangay folk when he appeared to be neutral as he was trying patch things up between them and the army. “Nagtuo man ko nga tinarong ang sa army, yinabag man diay to, pinolitika man diay tong ila.” It now appears that the 802nd IB is promoting Rep. Gomez at the expense of the residents, he added.
Mayor Codilla added that he doesn’t mind if the 802nd IB cover the barangay with Rep. Gomez’s name so long as they leave the residents alone. “Na hala, ipaputos tanang Camp Downes og ngalang sa inyong congresswoman diha, dili lang n’yo labtan ang kabutang sa mga taga-Camp Downes.
“Bisa’g ngalan sa congresswoman ibutang sa kada poste, kada balay, kada kanal, kada punoan. Hala, hutdon ta na kay kahibaw ra bat a sa atong congresswoman mao man pud na ang iyang kalipay, kanang ilang tarpaulin,” Mayor Codilla went on.
The mayor also branded Camp Commander Lt. Col. Edgardo P. Batinga as a trouble maker. “Di ko maayo’g buot sa 802nd karon kay kung nay activity ang syudad, di ko gyud na sila imbitaron. Kung naa sila, papaulion ko sila. Mura’g wa pa ko mahimutang nang ilang kalaki,” he said.
Aside from having been politicized, barangay officials are questioning why residents are made to sign a paper during the tagging. Kag. Marilou B. Gayon said at a meeting with residents last July 14 that gathering signatures wasn’t part of their agreement with the army.
“Ayaw kamo pagpamirma kay tingali ang inyong pirma gamiton lang kadto nga butangan nga ugma dayon papahawaon na mo. Basin kadtong gitagingan unang papahawaon kay gipapirmahan nga nitando mo. Ayaw mong pagpa-ilad!” she warned.
(West Leyte Weekly Express issue of July 9-15, 2012)
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