Ex-NDF peace consultant now government employee arrested

Photo from Alfred Mapano’s Facebook account

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – A former National Democratic Front (NDF) peace consultant who had surrendered to President Duterte few years ago was arrested as he was leading a new life as a government employee in Tagoloan on Friday.

Alfredo Mapano, who is known as “Ka Paris”, is now an employee of the government-managed Phividec Industrial Authority, was arrested by police operatives from Bayugan, Agusan del Sur. He was arrested two days after his 67th birthday.

Mapano was served a warrant released by Judge Hector Salise of the Regional Trial Court Branch 7, 10th Judicial Region in Bayugan on a robbery in band case, recorded as criminal case 2968.

The arrest surprised everyone including Mapano’s wife, employer and local police chief.

Mapano’s wife, Chona, is concerned that her husband is indeed now in detention in Bayugan.

“Our family is trying to locate him and ensure that he is safe,” Chona said in a phone interview.“It [arrest] was unexpected. He is now living a normal life.”

Talogoan Police Chief Captain Mark Dungca said that the operatives of Bayugan informed him that they will be serving an arrest warrant but did not specify who.

Chona has questioned the motive for Mapano’s arrest saying that Mapano has surrendered to Duterte following the collapse of the peace talks between the government and the NDF late in 2017.

She revealed that it was former Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr, a former political prisoner in the Marcos dictatorship, who helped Mapano surrender to the government and recommended him to Phividec afterwards

Mapano began work at Phividec as its corporate social responsibility officer and lately as a security officer.

Mapano was reportedly a ranking leader of the National Democratic Front in Northern Mindanao and was detained in 2009 in the Misamis Oriental provincial jail facing various charges. He was released on bail in 2016 to take part of the peace talks in Norway. (davaotoday.com)