DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / November 15, 2009) – Communist rebels have freed Sunday a captured government soldier after two weeks in captivity in the southern Philippines.
The New People’s Army, the military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, said it released Corporal Dominador Alegre on humanitarian grounds.
Alegre was captured on November 2 after rebel forces raided an army post in the village of Casoon in Compostela Valley’s Monkayo town.
“Today, the 4th Pulang Bagani Company of the Merardo Arce Command
of the New People's Army undertakes the safe and orderly release of Prisoner of War Corporal Dominador Alegre of the 72nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army-Armed Forces of the Philippines. This is in compliance with the release order of the MAC-Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command of the NPA,” said Ka Nadem, a rebel spokesman.
The NPA on Thursday ordered the soldier’s release, but a government rescue operation in Compostela Valley province delayed Alegre’s walk to freedom.
The rebels accused the military of launching rescue operation that could endanger Alegre’s life. The NPA said government soldiers have arrested innocent civilians and harassed villagers in Monkayo town as they searched for the captured soldier.
“And by successfully undertaking the release in the midst of AFP rescue attempts, the revolutionary movement again showed why AFP military operations start in a blunder and end as a failure in the face of a determined People's Army cherished by the masses in the ever-expanding and deepening guerilla areas,” the rebel spokesman said.
The NPA did not give details of the soldier’s release, but a government soldier, Private Joel Quijano, was also killed late Tuesday in a failed rescue of Alegre.
Ka Nadem said: “We wish Corporal Alegre well in his reunion with his beloved family. We call on his superiors in the 10th Infantry Division to be brave enough to assume command responsibility for the continuing military losses incurred from sustained NPA tactical offensives and not cowardly place the blame on lowly enlisted personnel like Corporal Alegre for the political and military failure that is Gloria Arroyo's and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Oplan Bantay Laya II.”
The spokesman was referring to the government anti-insurgency campaign.
The 10th infantry Division said it would hold Alegre responsible for the loss of the weapons during the rebel raid. It said Alegre would be court-martialed.
It said NPA rebels are also holding another soldier, Sergeant Frederick Gayla who was captured in 2007 in Davao province.
The rebels broke off peace talks with Manila in 2004 after both sides failed to sign an agreement to end more than four decades of bloody fighting. (Mindanao Examiner)
Sunday, November 15, 2009
NPA rebels free captured army soldier in Mindanao
Thursday, November 12, 2009
NPA orders release of captured army soldier in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / November 12, 2009) – Philippine communist rebel group New People’s Army has ordered Thursday the release of a captured government soldier in the volatile southern region of Mindanao.
A rebel spokesman Rigoberto Sanchez, of the Merardo Arce Command, said the soldier, Corporal Dominador Alegre, would be freed for humanitarian reason.
Alegre was captured on November 2 after rebel forces raided an army post in the village of Casoon in Compostela Valley’s Monkayo town.
“The Merardo Arce Command-Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command of the New People’s Army has ordered the release of prisoner of war Corporal Dominador Alegre, of the 72nd Infantry Battalion for humanitarian reasons,” he said.
But Sanchez said the actual date and circumstances of release shall be decided by the NPA’s 4th Pulang Bagani Company, which is holding the soldier, because of security situation.
The NPA has accused the military of launching rescue operation that could endanger Alegre’s life. A communist rebel and soldier were killed in separate clashes in Compostela Valley.
Fighting erupted Wednesday in the town of Maragusan after patrolling soldiers encountered a group of rebels in the village of Bahi. A rebel who was wounded in the clash died before soldiers could bring him to a military hospital. A government soldier was also wounded in the fighting and three other insurgents captured, said an army brigade commander, Colonel Romeo Calizo.
A government soldier, Private Joel Quijano, was also killed late Tuesday in a failed rescue of Alegre.
The Army’s 10th Infantry Division said NPA rebels are also holding another soldier, Sergeant Frederick Gayla who was captured in 2007 in Davao province.
The NPA said the delay in the safe release of Alegre is being caused by the military operation in Compostela Valley province.
“Any further delay in the safe return of Corporal Alegre to his family is being caused by the ruthless display of fascist arrogance by the 10th Infantry Division which unreasonably insists on conducting futile military rescue operations even if it achieve nothing other than trying to save face while piling up on its grim record of human rights abuses against civilians,” Sanchez said.
The rebels said government soldiers have arrested innocent civilians and harassed villagers in Monkayo town as they searched for the captured soldier.
The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, which broke off peace talks with Manila in 2004 after both sides failed to sign an agreement to end more than four decades of bloody fighting. (Mindanao Examiner)
Friday, November 06, 2009
Philippine rescue operations put at risk captured soldier's life, NPA rebels say
The New People’s Army, the country’s oldest rebel group which is fighting for the establishment of a separate communist state, has captured Corporal Dominador Alegre early this week after a raid at a military post in Monkayo town in Compostela Valley province.
Alegre is a detachment commander of the 72nd Infantry Battalion deployed in the province to fight the rebels.
A rebel spokesman, Simon Santiago, said security forces have mounted fresh operation to rescue Alegre, who is facing an investigation by an NPA court for possible human rights violations.
He said the rescue operation could endanger the soldier’s life.
“The 10th Infantry Division is actively opposing and closing the door to the possibility of an early, safe and orderly release of the prisoner of war and instead insist on endangering the security of Corporal Alegre by launching military operations,” Santiago said in a statement sent to the regional newspaper, the Mindanao Examiner.
He said soldiers have also arrested innocent civilians and harassed villagers in Monkayo town as they searched for the captured soldier.
”This is clearly an act of fascist arrogance of the 10th Infantry Division as the revolutionary forces has consistently shown in the many past and recent prisoner of war cases that it has positively considered well-meaning appeals for the release of the prisoners of war. Thus, the 10th Infantry Division condescending and irrational attitude towards their very own personnel captured and declared as prisoner of war by the New People’s Army, and their families, is a stumbling block to the possibility for an early, safe and orderly release of the prisoner of war,” Santiago said.
Another rebel spokesman, Ka Nadem, earlier warned the military against rescuing the soldier.
“We assure his family that he is well and is being taken cared of under the prevailing guerrilla conditions of the people’s army and the people’s war. While the investigation for Corporal Alegre's possible commission of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law is proceeding, we call on the 10th Infantry Division not to put in jeopardy the POW's safety and well-being. Any military operation will only succeed in delaying the investigation process and exacerbate the conditions of his custodial detention,” Nadem said.
Rebels have previously released captured soldiers and policemen in Mindanao after their families appealed for their freedom.
In April, communist rebels also abducted Private First Class Ronnie Trinidad, who belongs to the 66th Infantry Battalion, in the village of Pagsabangan in Compostela Valley’s New Bataan town. NPA rebels freed early this year a captured Special Forces commander, First Lieutenant Vicente Cammayo, after holding him as prisoner of war for two months also in Compostela Valley.
Last year, the rebels also released a policeman Eduardo Tumol, who was seized November 5 at a checkpoint in the village of Baogo in Davao Oriental's Caraga town. The NPA is the armed wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines, which broke off peace talks with Manila in 2004 after both sides failed to sign an agreement to end more than four decades of bloody fighting. (Mindanao Examiner)