Reds set Aug 27 as tentative sched of release for five captive police officers

By Ben Serrano,
Correspondent

BUTUAN City — The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-North Eastern Mindanao Region (NDFP-NEMR) has tentatively scheduled the release of five captive Caraga police on Aug. 27 as a gesture of goodwill for the resumption of the formal talks in Oslo that started on Monday.

“It signifies the revolutionary movement’s serious intent in pursuing peace talks between the NDF and the GPH,” said Ka Maria Malaya, NDF-NEMR spokesperson in a press statement forwarded to this paper.

Malaya congratulated the custodial forces of the New People’s Army’s Front Operational Command 30 and 16 for successfully ensuring the safety of the five Caraga policemen captives which the communist rebels treated as “prisoners of war.”

“This is despite the relentless combat and community operations for peace and development (COPD) of the AFP. The custodial forces painstakingly adhered to Protocol II of the Geneva Conventions and International Humanitarian Law on the treatment of prisoners of war,” Malaya said.

On July 5, a team of NPA rebels abducted PO1 Richard Vaz Yu, personnel of the Carmen, Surigao del Sur Municipal Police Office in Barangay San Vicente, Carmen, Surigao del Sur for his alleged involvement in the proliferation of illegal drugs in Carmen town.

He has been under the custody of NPA’s Front Operational Command 30 since his arrest.

While the four other captive policemen, PO2 Caleb Sinaca, PO3 Jayroll Bagayas and NPU Rodrigo Angob, personnel of the Malimono Municipal Police Station and SPO3 Santiago Lamanilao of the Surigao City Police Office in Surigao del Norte were abducted in Barangay Cagtinae, Malimono, Surigao del Norte by a team of the NPA Front 16 on July 24.

According to the NDF press statement, the four were arrested for their involvement in illegal drugs and illegal gambling in Malimono and Surigao City.

“PO2 Sinaca is linked as police protector to illegal drug syndicates and the illegal logging trade in the same town. He is also known for his extortion activities of small-scale miners, threatening and harassing peasants working for his father, Dario Sinaca. The four have been under the custody of NPA’s Front Operational Command 16,” Malaya said in the same e-mailed statement.

These arrests were made by the NPA in NEMR as part of its own anti-drug campaign. The NDFP-NEMR has done preliminary investigation of the five POWs and will turn over the results of the NPA’s investigation to the third party facilitator and the PNP through its Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in the hope that it will assist them in their own investigations,” Malay said.