After almost a month, the New People’s Army (NPA)
Comval-North Davao South Agusan Subregional Command today released Compostela
Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center Jail Warden Jose Melvin Coquilla to
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte around 1:30 p.m in Barangay Casoon in Monkayo, Compostela Valley
Duterte turned over Coquilla to Compostela Valley Vice
Governor Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora
The release was earlier than the 72 hours given by the mayor
for the rebels to release Coquilla. On Saturday afternoon, Duterte demanded the
NPAs to release Coquilla, who was snatched by the NPA rebels from his carwash
near his residence on December 23, 2014. Coquilla was supposed to celebrate his
birthday on Sunday (January 18).
The mayor's demand follows a meeting with the wife of
Coquilla, Lijobeth, who requested Duterte to help in facilitating the release
of her husband. Lijobeth met the mayor on Saturday at the Ateneo de Davao
University after the chief executive forum with students.
Duterte had been facilitating the release of abducted
soldiers or police in the region for many years. In fact, he already jokingly
complained making himself as the “pulot boy” of the NPAs.
In his statement, Duterte said Coquilla can ask for an
investigation from his superiors pertaining to allegations on drugs in order to
be heard. The mayor said Coquilla had admitted that 50 percent of the cases
facing the jail mates are drugs. “Indirectly there are really illegal drugs,”
he said.
On the other hand, Zamora
However, Zamora Zamora
Earlier, the mayor said it is no longer healthy for Coquilla
to be separated from his family.
Duterte said Coquilla’s abduction already took toll on the
lives of wife and children. He said he might be forced to bring Coquilla’s wife
and children to them if the rebels would not heed the call for the jail
warden’s freedom.
“The rebel movement has to choose either they release
Coquilla or I bring his family to them. I hope I have made myself clear,”
Duterte said.
He said the accusations by the rebels against Coquilla
remains to be proven.Duterte said the rebels could have considered Coquilla’s
right to be heard.
He said the right to be heard ought to be inherent in any
organization be it in government, and in private association.
“The right to be heard is a very important right of every
individual,” Duterte said.
On Saturday, Lijobeth had told the mayor she is suffering
from cancer and her husband's abduction is affecting her health. She also said
that their son resigned from his job because of the family's situation.
Ka Aris Francisco, spokesperson of the NPA’s Comval-North
Davao South Agusan Subregional Command had earlier said Coquilla was taken into
custody by the NPA in order to subject him to an investigation to determine his
individual culpability with respect to the complaints lodged against him before
the People's Democratic Government by jail inmates and their families.
Francisco said the complaints against Coquilla include his
willful negligence in the supervision of inmates and his direct and indirect,
overt and covert participation of drug trade and drug use inside the Comval
jail.
However, since almost a month of finding no hard evidence on
the accusation against Coquilla, Duterte said it was better for them to release
the jail warden.
After the release, Coquilla and the family begged off to be
interviewed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=726739
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