DAVAO CITY —New People’s Army captives led by Police Chief Inspector Leonardo Tarungoy appealed in a video message for the military and the police to suspend its operations to pave way for their immediate release.
Tarungoy said military airstrike held last April 18 in Paquibato district, Davao City, “almost hit us.”
“Hapit jud mi nangaigo sa airstrike nga gipahigayon kadtong adlawa ug salamat gani nga nasafety, secured mi, human sa maong operisyon (We almost got hit by the airstrike. We are thankful that we remained safe and secure afterwards),” said Tarungoy in a video released on Saturday, April 23.
The NPA arrested Tarungoy along with Police Officer 2 Neil C. Arellano, PO3 Rosenie L. Cabuenas, PO3 Abdul Azis Ali, Jr., and PO3 Rudolf Pacete last April 16 while they were on board their police mobile patrol enroute to the 72nd IB’s detachment in Sitio Quimanao, Barangay Salapawan, Paquibato District. The NPA raided the detachment four hours earlier on April 16.
Tarungoy addressed his appeal to President Benigno Aquino III and to the Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command.
“Esteemed President (Benigno Aquino III) and to EastMinCom, we appeal to you to undertake the SOMO for the AFP and SOPO for the PNP for our safe release and immediate release,” he said.
Pursuit operations
On April 18, the Army’s 10th Infantry Division said soldiers of 84th Infantry Battalion engaged in two encounters with the NPA during their rescue operations in Sitio Banban, Barangay Lumiad, Paquibato District.
“A soldier and a CAFGU Active Auxilliary (CAA) were killed, two other soldiers were wounded,” the Army said.
Army commander Major General Rafael Valencia, said they will “relentlessly use legitimate force” against the guerillas.
But Rigoberto Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA said the aggressive stance of the government troops “is posing grave and major risks in the lives of the five prisoners of war (POWs).”
‘Legitimate arrest’
Sanchez maintained that NPA’s arrest and capture of the prisoners “is a legitimate act of war.”
The Police Regional Office 11 in its previous statement said they condemn the “abduction” of the police officers “who were performing regular law enforcement functions” upon their arrest.
“The Philippines is not at war, there is no declaration of war, nor is there any existence of conditions of war. Therefore, their continued detention is illegal under existing Philippine or any international laws,” the PNP said.
They said the police officers “are civilians and not military personnel or combatants”.
But Sanchez said: “The five police officers are combatants who have fallen into the power of the New People’s Army. The Geneva Conventions stipulate that members of the armed forces of a party to the armed conflict are combatants.”
He said that “only medical personnel and religious chaplainse covered by the Third Geneva Convention (Article 33) are exempted.”
He said instead of negotiating the safe release of the five prisoners, “the GPH has used the capture of these police officers as a pretext to carry out indiscriminate bombardments and military operations that attain nothing but the escalation of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in the hinterland villages in Davao City.”
Treated well
In a separate video, Tarungoy called on to his family to “not worry” because they are being treated well by the NPAs.
“They treated us as a human being. Just don’t worry,” he said.
Pacete also assured his family that all their needs are being provided by the NPAs.
“Ang health namin ginabantayan nila. Huwag lang kayo mag-alala. Sa mga tao na mga nagdadasal para sa amin, maraming maraming salamat sa inyo (They are attending to our health needs. Don’t worry. To all those who are offering their prayers for us, thank you),” Pacete said which is contrary to the earlier reports received by the PNP that the police officers were “tied or handcuffed to make shift animal cages under sub-human conditions.”
Ali, who is a Muslim, said that the NPAs prepared him separate food.
“Maayo akong kahimtang diri.Sama nako nga Muslim, ginalahi pud nila akong pagkaon kay ginarespeto nila ang akong pagka-Islam (My condition here is okay. As a Muslim, they separate my food because they respect my being a believer of Islam),” he said.
Sanchez said even if “the conditions of war necessitate that the NPA custodial force secure and neutralize the capability of POWs to inflict harm to revolutionary forces, the NPA abides with war protocols even in the face of relentless military pursuit.”
Police officer calls for resumption of peace talks
Meanwhile, in his message Cabuenas called on presidential candidates to resume the peace process between the government and the National Democratic Front.
“Nanawagan pud ko sa hapit na ang eleksyon, umaabot nga presidente, kung kinsa ang mudaog, nga ibalik ug ipadayon ang peace process, hilabina sa GPH ug NDF para pud sa hinanali nga pagrelis sa amoa diri ug sa among nahimutangan karon (I’m calling on the next president, whoever wins the election, to resume peace process especially between the GPHnand the NDF so that we may also be released immediately),” he said.
Sanchez said the policemen are being subjected to the legal and judicial process of the People’s Democratic Government, “including validating the claims made by the PNP hierarchy that the five police officers have not committed any war crime.”(davaotoday.com)
