PNP, Army hunt down NPAs who abducted 2 soldiers in Sultan Kudarat

From the Philippine News Agency (Feb 2): PNP, Army hunt down NPAs who abducted 2 soldiers in Sultan Kudarat

Joint police and military forces are hunting down communist rebels who seized two soldiers Wednesday in a remote village here, police said Thursday.

The abduction came as the National Democratic Front declared it will withdraw its unilateral ceasefire with the Duterte administration by February 10.

Galgo said the soldiers, identified as Sgt. Solaiman Calocop and Private First Class Samuel Garay of 39th Infantry Battalion based in Sitio Lamales, Barangay Telefas, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat, were on board a motorbike heading to the Army base at about 8 a.m.

Quoting civilians, the Columbio PNP said about 10 heavily armed men in fatigue uniform with NPA badges and insignia, flagged down the victim's motorbike in Sitio Lamales.

It was not clear if the two soldiers were armed.

Witnesses said the victims were brought to the borders of Sultan Kudarat and Davao del Sur where the communist movement is operating.

“Our police in Columbio is helping the military in the manhunt operation,” Galgo said.

The NPA is yet to issue statement on the incident.

Columbio is under the operational supervision of 1002nd Infantry Brigade based in Malungon, Sarangani but soldiers under the 601st Infantry Brigade based in Sultan Kudarat is helping in the manhunt.

On Wednesday morning, Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos issued a statement that the CPP-NPA-NDF is withdrawing its unilateral ceasefire declared in August last year, after the Duterte administration failed to release political prisoners.

However, Madlos said the NPA is still supporting the peace process.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=960394