Southcom hunts other pilferers

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The Armed Forces Southern Command (Southcom) based here has beefed up its efforts against pilferage, tracking down other soldiers or outsiders who have connived with an Army major and a sergeant who were arrested last week.

Maj. Gabriel Habacon, Southcom chief, said a counter-intelligence operation is ongoing against other military personnel involved in the pilferage of firearms and ammunition at the 9th Forward Service Support Unit (FSSU) at Camp Enrile in Barangay Malagutay, just across the Southcom headquarters.

Habacon said they are also checking if Maj. Rauline Diploma, ammunition and supply officer of the 9th FSSU of the Army Support Command, and Sgt. Benido Damacino, who were both arrested last June 20, had links with outsiders.

"What we are trying to determine is if there are firearms that (had gotten) into the wrong hands," he said, adding that they have no idea yet on how many firearms had been slipped out of Camp Enrile.

Found in Diploma’s possession were an M-16 rifle, three caliber .45 pistols, and hundreds of bullets.

Habacon said Diploma and Damacino are being investigated at the Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio. — Roel Pareño