Bulatlat: Soldiers harass foreign observers at Cebu checkpoint

CEBU—Military troops from the 78th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army twice stopped and harassed delegates of the Peoples' International Observers Mission (Peoples' IOM) passing through a checkpoint in the municipality of Asturias, northwestern coast of Cebu this afternoon. According to American observer Elizabeth Hendrickson, the People's IOM Cebu team was stopped en route to Tuburan at a Philippine Army checkpoint in Brgy. Ginabasan, Asturias, Cebu. The checkpoint was headed by a certain Sgt. Ronald Pastrana. The team was held for around ten minutes, while the names of foreign observers and Filipino team members were taken by the military. The team was released shortly afterwards and proceeded to another mission area which is Tuburan. However, as they were travelling out of the area, passing the same road, the same military troops again accosted the team. This time around, the military held the team for 15 minutes and took photographs of the delegates without their consent. The troops asked the team leaders where their next destination was. Some of the soldiers also refused to disclose their names and covered their name tags with their rifles. The People's IOM Cebu team was able to monitor the election conduct in Bakyawan, Tuburan, and the Poblacion in Aloguinsan. They said that the canvassing area in Aloguinsan is congested, Hendrickson said. The team has reached Toledo City without further incident as of posting time. - Bulatlat