Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte receives Army Private First Class Edgardo Hilaga who was freed by the New People’s Army in Tulunan, North Cotabato on Tuesday, April 26. (Maria Patricia C. Borromeo/davaotoday.com)
MAKILALA, North Cotabato – Another unit of the New People’s Army released its prisoner of war here to presidential aspirant Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, April 26.
Private First Class Edgardo Hilaga Jr. from the Charlie Company of the 7th Infantry Battalion (IB) 602nd Brigade of the 6th Infantry Division (ID) was the sixth prisoner released by the NPAs to Duterte in two days time.
Hilaga said that during the five days of captivity; he was treated fairly by the NPA.
“They did not maltreat me, they provided everything that I needed,” Hilaga said.
Hilaga was captured during an unexpected checkpoint of the NPA’s Front 72 Mount Alip Sub-Regional Command at 4:30 AM on April 21.
Hilaga said he thought that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were the ones conducting the checkpoint.
“I was in the hurry that time because I had to report at the camp at exactly 6:00 AM,” he explained.
At that time, he asked the supposed military to let him pass through.
“The man I thought to be a soldier asked me to step aside and there I saw armed NPA forces heading towards me,” Hilaga said.
Ka Efren Aksasato, spokesperson of the Far Southern regional command said that NPA strictly follows the principles of International Humanitarian Law.
“One of the laws of the NPA is not to hurt the captives,” Aksasato said.
Aksasato also explained, “he was released immediately because first of all in his personal capacity, he did not have a case of oppressing people and also another reason is that some groups, like the local government unit of Makilala and church people contacted us immediately to have a negotiation.”
He also said that immediate release should not be an issue since people knows that the NPA are guerrillas in action.
“We don’t have established prisons, so for humanitarian reason we don’t have to prolong the custody. As much as possible they should be released except if they are guilty of war crimes,” Aksasato said.
Revolution, not election
Aksasato said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the NPA and the National Democratic Front (NDF) are not part of the election.
“The CPP-NPA NDF believes that armed struggle, not election, is the solution to the problems of the Filipino nation,” he said.
As to having to release their POW to Duterte, he said the Davao mayor has a “record in this kind of doings. I think it’s almost a decade already that he has been receiving POWs,” he said.
Call for resumption of peace talks
Meanwhile, Reverend June Ancheta of the Exodus Justice and Peace said they will continue to campaign for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws (CARHRIHL) for as long as the civil war is ongoing in the country.
“We believe that we can only achieve peace if it will be based on social justice,” Ancheta said.
As of now, Aksasato reported that there are still five prisoners of war held by the NPAs with three in Bukidnon area and two in Agusan area.(davaotoday.com)
