FREED

By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent

LAGONGLONG, Misamis Oriental–The National Democratic Front (NDF) yesterday released an ailing policeman to Gov. Yevgeny  Emano and church leaders, nearly a month after he was captured by rebels at a roadblock they set up on a highway in Talisayan town.

The NDF said the release of SPO4 Rene Rombo is  the first of a series of releases of soldiers and policemen captured by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels when they staged simultaneous roadblocks in five towns in three provinces in Northern Mindanao last month.

Ka Maya of the NPA Eastern Misamis Oriental North Central Bukidnon Subegional Committee said they would also be releasing before the May 9 elections Pfcs. Diven Tawide and Glen Austria of the Army’s 23rd Infantry Battalion who were captured in Carmen town, Agusan del Norte in April 3.

Ka Maya said they have also scheduled the release  of SPO1 Warren Hansel Canales and PO1 Edwin Panis Cantor soon.

She said this is their “strong” message to whoever would be elected as the new President: resume peace talks with the communist rebels.

“We have to talk to end the war. The talks should focus on the roots of our rebellion,” Ka Maya said.

Rombo appeared frail when he was met by his wife Vilma and their eldest daughter Novarie during a tearful reunion in Barangay Banglay, some 10 kilometers east of Lagonglong town.

Gov. Emano, Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente, Msgr. Elmer Abacahin of the Cagayan de Oro archdiocese were there to accept the release of Rombo from the NPA Eastern Misamis Oriental North Central Bukidnon Subegional Committee.

“I was treated well by my captors. At first, I thought the NPA rebels were blood-thirsty, and very bad people. I was wrong–they even gave me more food than what they were subsisting on,” Rombo told reporters.

“They treated me like a guest, not their prisoner of war,” he said.

NPA rebels captured Rombo when they set up a roadblock along the Cagayan de Oro-Butuan highway in nearby Talisayan town in April 3.

Rombo said because of  psychological stress and frequent long walks in the rugged mountain terrain, his blood pressure went up during his 29 days of captivity.

“His blood pressure went up to 170 over 60 especially on the second night of his captivity. Our medics were constantly watching his condition,” Ka Maya said.

She said their medics were able to stabilize the Rombo’s health condition because they have ample medicines.

The release of Rombo came after Emano convened a local crisis group composed of  Bishop Calang and the Cagayan de Oro Archdiocese representatives.

Emano said Rombo’s wife Vilma came to his office a day after the policeman was captured by the rebels.

Msgr. Abacahin said they agreed to be the intermediaries for humanitarian purposes.

“The government and the NPA are at war against each other. We felt there is a need for some group to stay neutral so peace can be pursued,” Abacahin said.

This is the third release of captured soldiers and policemen facilitated by the interfaith group in Cagayan de Oro.