Families of the New People’s Army (NPA)’s five captives sought for the latter’s release, as the National Democratic Front of the Philippines Southern Mindanao gave the release order Thursday.
Two Agusan del Sur minors who were accused and detained of purportedly taking part in the killing of a barangay captain were released from a youth facility here Wednesday. Their mothers, however, wanted justice to grind on the militia men and Army personnel who allegedly tortured their sons.
The two teenage lumad minors detained last July 22 in Loreto, Agusan del Sur, are finally free to go as the murder complaint against them by the military were dismissed by the provincial state prosecutor. The minors, Alan, aged 16; and John, 17 (both not real names) were flagged down by soldiers and paramilitary in their village and were reportedly tortured the night before they were detained. (davaotoday.com photo by John Rizle L. Saligumba)
These five kids are awardees from the Davao region's four provinces and Davao City for the Department of Social Welfare and Development's Pantawid Exemplary Child 2013. The DSWD program gives monthly cash grants of P 1,400 to school children's family as long as they perform well at school. A total of 192,881 households in Davao Region are beneficiaries. But a report from think-tank IBON Foundation questioned its effectivity in alleviating poverty, as they cited government audit that some P 4 billion of the program remained unliquidated and P 50 million were misspent on non-beneficiaries. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)
Older sister smiles while younger sister stares emptily at their evacuation center in Zamboanga City's Enriquez Memorial Complex, two months after the Zamboanga siege. (davaotoday.com photo by Ace R. Morandante)