Bishop Commends Deployment of Troops in Metro Manila

Original report at Gov.Ph News
http://www.gov.ph/news/?i=18835
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2007

Bishop Broderick Pabillo, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdioceses of Manila, has changed his stand on the deployment of soldiers in the urban poor communities in Metro Manila, a military spokesman reported.

2Lt. Jose Carlos Coruña, spokesman of the deployed Civil Military Operations (CMO) Battalion, said Pabillo, who has previously criticized the deployment, commended the CMO for its ongoing efforts.

Coruña said the “dramatical turn of events” transpired when the CMO Battalion under Col. Ricardo Visaya met the clergyman last Wednesday and was subsequently given a briefing on the ongoing deployment.

More than 300 military personnel are presently deployed in the poor communities in Metro Manila, principally to prevent recruitment by the communist New People’s Army (NPA) and to pursue humanitarian projects.

The once hostile and cynical catholic Bishop sincerely expressed his gratitude to the CMO battalion in its information operations, community and humanitarian services, and peace efforts being done in the National Capital Region after Capt. Rene Ogues presented the briefing "The CMO BN and the Insurgency Situation in the National Capital Region" he said.

The Army officer said the briefing also touched the pronouncements from the higher echelon the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

“Bishop Pabillo commended the unit and even requested that the same briefing be presented to the clergy”, the official said. Coruña said Pabillo also asked Visaya to draft a monitoring scheme that will systematically investigate complaints that are reaching the Bishop’s office.

He said the camp of Pabillo recommended also that the Diocese of Manila and the AFP, specifically the CMO battalion, for the forging of a “partnership in all its peace and development efforts”.