NPA rebels free abducted mayor, 4 others in South RP

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 18, 2010) – Communist rebels have freed an abducted southern Filipino town mayor and four soldiers and policemen after more than a week in captivity, security officials said Tuesday.

Officials said New People’s Army rebels on Tuesday released Mayor Roberto Luna of Lingig town, including two government soldiers Private First Class John Rey Abao and Arnel Dizon, and two policemen Police Officer 2 Boy de Castro, P03 Alan Dapitanon in the village of Bogac also in Lingig town.

The hostages were handed over to the group of Surigao del Sur Governor Johnny Pimentel, who was there to ensure the safe release of the five men.

The release of the hostages came about after reports said that some P3 million in ransoms were paid to the rebels. And the military is verifying the reports whether they were true or not. “We are trying to validate these media reports that ransoms were paid to the NPA,” said Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division.

But the NPA said the mayor was freed after he apologized for various criminal charges against him by the rebel group.

“The People's Democratic Government in Guerilla Front 20 has ordered the release of detainee current Lingig mayor Roberto Luna Jr on account of his voluntary admission of culpability and issuance of a public apology in relation to the various crimes for which he stands accused of in the revolutionary People's Court.”

“The Merardo Arce Command-New People's Army has likewise directed the Camp for the Administration of Detainees of the Conrado Heredia Command-NPA to release the four Prisoners of War who are AFP/PNP elements,” said Roel Agustin, a rebel spokesman.

He said Luna and his aides were freed on humanitarian grounds after their families and other groups appealed to the NPA for their safe release.

Agustin said the politician allegedly admitted maintaining a large private armed group consisting of soldiers and policemen and hired goons. “He employed this private armed group in furtherance of his political and economic interests and in the process violated the human rights of the masses,” he said.

The NPA earlier accused Luna of allegedly being involved in the murders of former Lingig town mayor Amerosin Onsing in 2001, and the Suazo brothers in the village of Union in 2007.

Luna was also accused of grabbing 30 hectares of farm lands owned by peasants in the village of Pagbacatan and in Dahican Island and was engaged in destructive logging. He was also charged by the NPA of human rights violations and embezzlement of “people's money.”

“Despite Luna's release from detention, the legal and judicial procedures in connection with these cases will continue; only his custodial detention is terminated. As for the four POWs, the investigation shall be suspended.”

“The NPA and the revolutionary masses enjoin Luna to desist from doing acts inimical to the interest of the people, particularly peasants and Lumad tribesmen, respect their political, economic, social and other human rights and make amends to those whom he had done injustice to,” the rebel spokesman said.

The allegations cannot be independently confirmed, but the mayor and his group was seized by rebels May 5 near the boundary of Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley provinces. Rebel forces also confiscated from Luna’s group five M16 automatic rifles, two .45-caliber pistols and one 9mm automatic pistol, including one .380-caliber pistol.

The military said Luna was on his way to visit his sick child in Davao City when some 30 rebels blockaded a highway and flagged down the politician’s car and seized him and his aides.

NPA rebels last month also abducted former Lupon town mayor Arfran Quinones, who was seeking re-election, and his aide in the village of Marayag in Davao Oriental province.

Two followers of a House Speaker Prospero Nograles were abducted in Davao City in March after the solon failed to pay extortion money. And five of his supporters were also held this month in Davao City for failing to pay protection money.

The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is waging a secessionist war for the past four decades now. (Mindanao Examiner)

Rebels own up abduction of Philippine mayor, 4 aides

A New People's Army fighter. (philippinerevolution.net)

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 6, 2010) – New People’s Army rebels owned up the abduction of a southern Filipino town mayor and four of his escorts and claimed they were being held for various crimes, a spokesman said on Thursday.

Simon Santiago, of the NPA’s Merardo Arce Command, said rebels are holding Lingig town mayor Roberto Luna Jr, and two government soldiers and two policemen, who were all seized on Wednesday near the boundary of Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley provinces.

He said Luna, who is running for vice mayor in his town under President Gloria Arroyo’s Lakas-Kampi-CMD coalition, is being held for investigations for numerous criminal, land grabbing and graft cases.

“Luna is being investigated for the 2007 murders of Suazo siblings who were Barangay Union residents in Lingig town; and Luna's involvement in the cold-blooded murder of Mayor Amerosin V. Onsing in 2001. Luna has also been accused of land grabbing 30-hectare peasant lands in Barangay Pagbacatan, and in Dahican Island.”

“Luna who is now seeking the Lingig town vice mayoralty post has been facing graft charges for the 26-million peso Land Bank loan for water ways in 2009. He has pending cases in reactionary courts for illegal logging, falsification of official documents, grave misconduct, and graft and corruption,” Santiago said.

The allegations cannot be independently confirmed, but the NPA said it would issue further statements and notices related to the prisoners.

Santiago said rebel forces also seized from Luna’s group five M16 automatic rifles, two .45-caliber pistols and one 9mm automatic pistol, including one .380-caliber pistol.

He identified the captured soldiers and police officers as Private First Class John Rey Abao and Arnel Dizon, both from the 58th Infantry Battalion; and Police Officer 2 Boy de Castro and Police Officer 3 Alan Dapitanon, who are members of the Lingig town police force.

Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said Luna was on his way to visit his sick child in Davao City when some 30 rebels blockaded a highway and flagged down the politician’s car and seized him and his aides.

He said rebels last month also abducted former Lupon town mayor Arfran Quinones, who is seeking re-election, and his aide in the village of Marayag in Davao Oriental province.

Garcia said two followers of a House Speaker Prospero Nograles were abducted in Davao City in March after the solon failed to pay extortion money.

On Wednesday, communist rebels also briefly held 5 people campaigning for Nograles, who is running for mayor in Davao City.

Garcia said some 30 New People’s Army rebels seized the 5 men while they were campaigning on a village in Davao City’s Tugbok District.

He said the men were interrogated and freed unharmed several hours later. “The victims were lectured by the rebels on election rules of the NPA and they want them to follow those rules. The rebels also told them not to vote for Nograles,” Garcia said.

Nograles is a staunch military supporter and is running against Davao City vice mayor Sara Duterte, daughter of incumbent mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is seeking a congressional seat against the solon’s son lawyer Karlo Nograles, in the May 10 general elections.

“The NPA is clearly meddling in the elections. They are intimidating and coercing people thru the barrel of the gun and robbing our people of their freedom to exercise their right to suffrage and free from any threat. This is a total disregard to the right of the people,” Garcia said.

The NPA earlier warned politicians campaigning for the elections should pay so-called “campaign fees” in areas where the rebels are actively operating. The rebels have so far disarmed politicians and their bodyguards and torched their campaign vehicles the past weeks for their failure to pay the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which is waging a secessionist war for the past four decades now. (Mindanao Examiner)

Rebels block highway, abduct mayors and escorts in Mindanao

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / May 5, 2010) – Philippine troops were sent Wednesday to rescue a town mayor and four of his security escorts abducted by communist rebels who blockaded a highway in Mindanao where security forces are battling insurgents, a military spokesman told the Mindanao Examiner.

The spokesman said more than two dozen New People's Army rebels seized Mayor Roberto Luna Jnr of Lingig town in Agusan del Sur province and two soldiers and two policemen escorting him.

“The mayor and his escorts are being held hostage by the NPA. Troops are pursuing the rebels,” said Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, of the 10th Infantry Division.

Garcia said the rebels struck at around 6 a.m. after putting up a checkpoint near the boundary of Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley provinces. “We condemn and deplore this act of terrorism by the New People’s Army,” he said. “We are awaiting progress report from our field commanders about the pursuit operation.”

He said the 10th and the 4th Infantry Divisions are involved in the rescue mission.

The motive of the attack was unknown, but the NPA earlier warned politicians campaigning for the May 10 general elections should pay so-called “campaign fees” in area where the rebels are actively operating.

The rebels have so far disarmed politicians and their bodyguards and torched their campaign vehicles the past weeks for their failure to pay the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines which is waging a secessionist war for the past four decades now. (Mindanao Examiner)