NPA to free 5 cops in Caraga

The New People’s Army is set to release on August 27 in an undisclosed location in Caraga the five police officers who were held captive in two Surigao provinces as a gesture of goodwill for the ongoing peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

In a live interview with a local radio station last Monday, a certain “Ka Uto” of guerilla-Front Committee 16 of the CPP-NPA-NDF Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee said the abducted police personnel and non-uniformed personnel will be released in support of the ongoing peace talks between the Philippine government and CPP-NPA-NDF leaders now in Oslo, Norway.

“The third-party facilitator (provincial crisis management committee) should ask the military and police for a suspension of operations in the province for the safe release of the prisoners of war from the custodial force,” Ka Uto stated.

He said the military and police presence in Surigao Del Norte will put danger on the abducted policemen and NUP.

On July 5 this year, PO1 Richard Vaz Yu of the police station in Carmen, Surigao Del Sur was abducted in Barangay San Vicente of the said town by members of the NPA Front 30 for his alleged involvement in the illegal drug trade.

On July 24, PO2 Caleb Sinaca, PO3 Jayroll Baga-yas and non-uniform police officer Rodrigo Angob of the Malimono (Surigao Del Norte) police station and SPO3 Santiago Lamanilao of the Surigao City Police Office were taken in Barangay Cagtinae in Malimono by a team of the NPA Front 16.

They were snatched for their alleged involvement in illegal drugs and illegal gambling in Mali-mono and Surigao City.

Sinaca was tagged as a protector of illegal drug syndicates and illegal logging in Malimono. He is also implicated in extortion activities against small-scale miners, and in the harassment of peasants working for his father, Dario Sinaca.

Ka Oris said the “arrests” were made by the NPA as part of its own anti-drug campaign.