CAPAS, Tarlac — The Sangguniang Bayan of Capas unanimously passed a resolution on July 27, 2026 declaring Lt. Col. Owen Avenido, PAF, Commander of Camp Ernesto Ravina Air Base (CERAB), persona non grata due to actions that allegedly disrupted local government operations and compromised public services.
Municipal Resolution No. 112-2026, sponsored by Councilor Ariel Batican, stems from a formal request made on July 18 by Capas Mayor Roseller Rodriguez. The town council cited repeated incidents under Avenido’s command that hindered intergovernmental cooperation, delayed essential government programs, and strained long-standing civil-military relations.
During the special legislative session presided over by Vice Mayor Alex Espinosa, the Sangguniang Bayan temporarily suspended its rules at the outset to allow guests and complainants to voice their sentiments and share their firsthand experiences regarding the issues at hand.
Local officials then highlighted various instances where military checkpoints blocked authorized individuals and public servants from entering the base.
Among the cited incidents was an emergency response delay involving a Tarlac Electric Cooperative II (TARELCO II) board member and service team, who were allegedly stopped at an Air Force checkpoint despite responding to an active power line and electric meter fire inside the area.
Beyond emergency response, residents also reported persistent harassment by PAF personnel, who blocked them from bringing in construction materials for house building and farming supplies such as fertilizer and tractors. According to a member of the Indigenous Peoples (IPs), even the 100 sacks of cement and roof trusses were turned away at checkpoints, preventing them from completing essential shelter and livelihood projects.
Furthermore, local officials expressed frustration over municipal councilors being denied entry to attend the annual Brigada Eskwela activities in upland barangays, including Sta. Juliana, Maruglo, Buena, and O’Donnell. Local leaders noted that military officials under Avenido’s command referred to affected residents in these communities as “illegal settlers.”
Resolution documents also reveal that personnel executing the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) Pag-abot Program, staff distributing municipal social welfare assistance, and representatives implementing an educational Memorandum of Agreement for Sta. Juliana Integrated School were similarly turned away at base checkpoints. These rejections forced essential public services to be conducted outside the reservation boundary, causing significant disruption to beneficiaries, including vulnerable sectors and IPs.
According to a DSWD representative who attended the session, they even presented formal letters to PAF personnel to justify their mission of delivering aid to residents, yet they were still blocked. “Parang tinataboy po kami, eh nag-aabot lang po kami ng tulong,” the representative lamented.
Barangay Captain Lota Guanla of Maruglo also testified that while they were supposed to receive the assistance, the PAF refused to let the DSWD team enter. She recounted, “Pinapalabas po kami sa checkpoint, nagdala na lang po kami ng mga lamesa at upuan sa ilalim ng mangga, sa halip na sa barangay covered court namin. Gusto nilang lumabas pa kami sa mainit para lang kunin ang ayuda.“
Local officials noted that repeated invitations extended to Lt. Col. Avenido for formal dialogue were consistently snubbed or met only with military representatives who offered no concrete resolutions, stating merely that the matters would be elevated to higher headquarters.
Dissatisfaction deepened following a July 20 Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting regarding the base reservation, where the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) was also present, but the local government unit of Capas was completely excluded—an act local leaders characterized as a direct insult to the municipality.
During the session, Councilor Ariel Batican sought further clarification from Engr. Marcial Lengao, head of the NCIP Tarlac Provincial Office, regarding the July 20 TWG meeting. Batican asked Lengao about the meeting’s minutes, which reportedly stated that Lt. Col. Avenido claimed there were no complaints from the Aeta communities and that they were not being restricted—an assertion vehemently disputed by the IPs.
One member of the Indigenous community present at the session countered, “Hindi po nila [NCIP] kami kinausap sir, hindi po totoo yun!”
Councilor Batican, visibly frustrated, pressed Lengao on whether the minutes accurately reflected the discussion and who was telling the truth. However, Lengao explained that the meeting did not proceed as stated and that he had not reviewed the minutes of the meeting.
Disheartened, Councilor Batican remarked, “How can the NCIP protects yung mga katutubo natin kung mismong sa meeting ay hindi alam kung anong pinag-usapan nila?”
After thorough deliberation, the session proceeded to vote on the resolution. All 11 members of the Sangguniang Bayan, including Vice Mayor Espinosa as the presiding officer, voted unanimously in favor of the measure. In a show of solemn unity, each council member stood and raised their right hand as the votes were cast, signaling their full collective decision to declare Lt. Col. Avenido persona non grata.
The session was attended by a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives from the NCIP, the DSWD, and TARELCO II. Also present and shared complaints were the barangay captains of Brgy. Bueno, Maruglo, Patling, Sta. Juliana, and Sta. Lucia, along with their residents, including IPs, many of whom voiced their firsthand experiences of exclusion and service disruption.
Despite the firm declaration, the Sangguniang Bayan emphasized that the measure is not an act of hostility toward the Armed Forces of the Philippines or the Philippine Air Force as institutions. Rather, the resolution reflects the local council’s duty to safeguard constituent welfare and preserve local governance authority.
The municipal council respectfully requested the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Commanding General of the Philippine Air Force to relieve Lt. Col. Avenido from her current command at CERAB and designate a replacement who will foster constructive dialogue and mutual respect with the municipality.
Copies of the resolution have been forwarded to the Office of the President, the Department of National Defense, the Senate Committee on National Defense, the AFP leadership, and the Provincial Government of Tarlac.
