BUTUAN CITY: The Regional Peace and
Order Council (RPOC) finally admitted they are on a stalemate in their talks with
the NPA as to the release of three Surigao del Norte policemen who were kidnapped
more than two months ago.
The NPA rebels confirmed earlier
they abducted the three cops in separate incidents.
Last Christmas, the families of the
policemen have earnestly requested the rebels to free their captives as a gift
but the NPAs turned a deaf ear.
In a news conference last Jan. 16, RPOC
Chair and Butuan Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr. said talks between the NPA rebels and military,
initiated by the Council and with the help of religious and civil society
groups bogged down.
Amante added that for now, they
will try to ask the involvement of the national government on this issue.
Amante said the RPOC has requested a
halt to all military operations and peace and development activities, even the temporarily
pull out of troops in the area in the meantime to pave way for the release.
The military responded they cannot
for they have a sworn duty to protect ordinary residents and citizens as the
reason of their presence there.
Philippine Army’s 4th ID Commanding General
Maj. Gen. Oscar Lactao said they have given in on the NPA’s demands for suspension
of the military operation and then here comes complete military pull out before
the three cops will be released, that, he said, cannot be done.
For his part, Brigadier General
Jonathan Ponce, commanding officer of the 402nd Brigade, said the NPA should be
blamed for the delay of the policemen’s release.
The military’s 402nd Brigade holds
area of responsibility and jurisdiction over entire area of Surigao del Norte.
In a press statement, NDF-Northeast
Mindanao Spokesperson Maria Malaya claimed the release was supposedly scheduled
last Saturday Jan. 17, but was cancelled.
The reason, according to Malaya,
was the failure of the military to leave the area of Sico-sico and Camam-onan,
Gigaquit in Surigao del Norte and to withdraw to their base camp in Mahanub.
Malaya explained the release of the
three policemen was apparently their “gesture of peace” during the papal visit
and a positive response to the plea of the relatives that they all be reunited,
which the military destroyed.
The three kidnapped policemen were
identified as PO1 Jorie M. Amper and Marichel U. Contemplo, and PO3 Democrito
B. Polvorosa. (WITH REPORTS FROM BEN SERRANO)