The military yesterday dismissed the claims of partylist groups that they harassed residents in the upland areas of Santa Catalina, Oriental Negros, as a "political gimmick" to get the sympathy of the people.

Partylist groups Bayan Muna, Anak Pawis and Kabataan had accused soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion of harassing their members and resident in the hinterland barangays of Santa Catalina. In a manifesto, the party-list groups cited incidents in Sitios Kadlum, Calangagay, Itom-itom, Batok-batok and Nagod-od, all in Barangay Nagbalaye, Sta. Catalina, where 20 families have evacuated for fear of their lives, allegedly because they were harassed by soldiers.

Lt. Col. Norman Flores, 61st IB commander, yesterday said partylist groups were behind the circulation of reports of an imminent gunbattle between the insurgents and soldiers in Brgy. Nagbinlod, Santa Catalina.

Flores said patrolling troopers chanced upon Jessie Dacal-Dacal, an active red fighter of the New People's Army, at the house of his sister, Perla, in Sitio Tadlong, Brgy. Nagbinlod, in the town, on March 9.

He, however, said Dacal-Dacal who had a .45 caliber pistol escaped by jumping from the window.

Flores said the party-list groups were trying to cover the organizing activities of Dacal-Dacal in the area, by fabricating such accusations.

He claimed that Dacal-Dacal was allegedly about to fetch students from a university in Dumaguete who will undergo orientation seminars with rebel cadres in the upland areas of Santa Catalina, when he was almost captured by his men.

Discovered at the house of Dacal-Dacal were sardines and school supplies such as notebooks and ballpens.*GPB

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