Home 
MANILA, Philippines?Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado said he would make any military personnel available for investigation if he or she is pinpointed in an investigation by the Commission on Human Rights of the alleged abduction and torture of American-Filipino Melissa Roxas.
Ibrado, however, reiterated that his initial ?feedback? was that no soldiers were involved in the alleged abduction of Roxas in Tarlac in May.
Anything that comes from the military for now would be ?self-serving,? admitted Ibrado as the CHR began its probe into Roxas? complaint.
?Our point is, if anyone of our personnel is pinpointed or identified, then we will make [him or her] available [for investigation.] We will not obstruct the investigation,? Ibrado said.
?It didn?t happen?
Ibrado said he had earlier instructed Army chief Lt. Gen. Delfin Bangit to look into Roxas? allegations when it was first aired in media. He said the feedback he received from the commanding general was that no such incident happened in Tarlac.
Ibrado said the military would not pursue further investigations because of the ongoing probe of the CHR, whose results would be ?more acceptable and credible to the public.?
?I am not saying that there were absolutely no people involved. There is always a possibility that some soldiers were involved, but we cannot just go on and investigate them as it might be perceived as witch-hunting on our part,? he said.
Roxas, a member of the US chapter of the leftist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), claimed she was visiting the Philippines for an ?exposure program? when she was abducted by men she believed to be military agents in La Paz town, Tarlac province, on May 19.
She was released seven days later.
Malacañang on Wednesday said there was still no basis to say for sure that Roxas had indeed been abducted and tortured by military agents in Central Luzon.
But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita welcomed Roxas? return to the country Monday night, saying her arrival should help shed light on the controversy.
Roxas returned to the Philippines Monday night to pursue her complaint.
Ermita, who also chairs the Presidential Human Rights Committee, said Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has made a commitment to determine if military agents were indeed involved in the supposed abduction and torture.
