MANILA: The Army is looking at the possible liability of a former battalion commander whose subordinates were involved in an operation that left three civilians dead in Davao del Sur.
Col Rhoderick Parayno, chief of the Army Human Rights Office, said Lt Col Alexis Bravo, the former commander of the 27th battalion, is not yet cleared as they are looking at the command responsibility aspect of the operation.
“On our own, we are determining whether the battalion commander was really excluded (in the conduct of the operation). There are no results yet so he (Bravo) is not yet off the hook,” Parayno said.
He said the Army cannot exonerate Bravo without proving that he should not be liable for the lapses committed during the operation.
Last month, a mother and his two sons were killed in an operation against armed bandits by members of the 27th battalion.
The victims, identified as 28-year-old Juvy Capion and her sons, 13-year-old Jordan, and 6-year-old John Mark were killed by soldiers in barangay Kimlawis in Kiblawan town. The incident was initially reported as an encounter with communist insurgents.
An Army officer – 1Lt Dante Jimenez – and 12 other soldiers are now facing general court martial over the incident.
In a report to the Army’s Board of Inquiry, Jimenez admitted he failed to assess whether the individuals in the area of the operation were rebels or civilians.
The Philippine star
