NEW People’s Army rebels are reportedly demanding ransom, in the form of firearms worth P1.5 million, for the freedom of a businessman they abducted last Saturday in Agusan del Sur for refusing to heed their extortion demand.
Carzon Ceasar Lademora, a resident of San Francisco town in Agusan del Sur, was seized because he refused to give in to the NPA’s extortion demand, said Col. Cristobal Zaragosa, commander of the Army’s 401st Brigade.
Zaragosa also said he has asked the family of the victim not to heed the “ransom” demand as this will only strengthen the rebels.
Lademora, who is engaged in small-scale mining, was seized by NPA rebels, led by one Monic, in Sitio Anuling in Barangay Bayugan 3 in Rosario town Saturday morning.
The rebels are from the NPA’s Front 14 operating in the province.
Capt. Jasper Gacayan, public affairs officer of the 401st Brigade, said the rebels “ransacked the mining tunnel of the victim” before kidnapping Lademora.
“Sources revealed that the NPAs are demanding ransom money from the family (of Lademora) in exchange (for the release) of the victim who is suffering from hypertension,” said Gacayan.
“The ransom that they are asking for is actually firearms. They assured the family (of the victim) that he will be safe and will be released after three days. They are demanding an M14, an M16 (both rifles) and an M60 (machinegun). The estimated amount (of the firearms) is P1.5 million,” said Zaragosa.
Maj. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the kidnapping was “extortion-related.”
Madrigal said government forces will continue to conduct search and rescue operations for Lademora. “We are not going to stop until he is released,” he said.
In Zamboanga Sibugay, two NPA rebels died and two government militiamen were injured following a clash in Diplahan town on Saturday afternoon.
Troops from the 44th Infantry Battalion engaged about 30 rebels from the NPA’s Western Mindanao Party Committee in the firefight in Sitio Malagak, Barangay Guinoman at around 5 p.m.
Apart from the enemy bodies, also recovered in the encounter site were an AK-47 rifle and one M16 rifle.
“Soldiers also saw bloodstains in the area and on the route of the enemy withdrawal,” said Capt. Jo-ann Petinglay, spokeswoman of the AFP’s Western Mindanao Command.
The bloodstains indicate the rebels suffered more casualties, either killed or wounded, in the clash.
Brig. Gen. Rolando Bautista, commander of the 1st Infantry Division, said the encountered insurgents were responsible for numerous atrocities, including arson, extortions, killings, and abductions.
In Kalinga, an NPA rebel was killed while an Army soldier was wounded in another firefighting in Balbalan town at around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, said Capt. Jefferson Somera, public affairs officer of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division.
Somera said troops from the Army’s 50th Infantry Battalion were on a security patrol when they caught up with a group of NPA rebels in Barangay Balbalasang, leading to a 30-minute clash.
Soldiers recovered at the scene the body of a yet to be identified rebel, an M16 rifle, two magazines and 46 cartridges for M16.
The injured soldier is now stable condition, said Somera.
In Sultan Kudarat, troops from the Marine Battalion Landing Team 2 also clashed with NPA rebels in Kalamansig town also on Saturday.
The fighting led to the recovery of several improvised explosive devices, said Capt. Arvin Encinas, public affairs officer of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division.
Encinas said the soldiers clashed with the rebels in Sitio Lomoton in Barangay Hinalaan at around 9 a.m. The rebels withdrew after a 20-minute firefight, bringing with them an undetermined number of casualties, he said.
Encinas said the soldiers “delivered accurate mortar fires to the location of the enemy, (prompting) the rebels to scamper.” He said pursuit operations are ongoing.
During clearing operations, the troops recovered at the scene an M16 rifle and four IEDs, said Encinas.
LEFTISTS FREED?
President Duterte on Saturday said he ordered the release of 14 convicted communist rebels to show goodwill and proof of the government’s sincerity and commitment in peace efforts.
The President, speaking before members of the Filipino community in Hong Kong, was talking about the left-leaning members of his Cabinet when he announced he released the 14 from the National Bilibid Prison.
No details about the 14 were immediately available. It was also unknown of they were given temporary freedom in connection with the peace talks or if they were pardoned.
“I just released about 14 prisoners from Bilibid, iyung mga komunista na convicted na (the communist who were already convicted) as a show of, besides there were others,” he said adding that he also met with top leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front recently.
He hosted dinner for CPP’s Benito and Wilma Tiamzon and NDF panel chairman Fidel Agcaoili in Malacañang last week.
He expressed optimism the government and the communist rebels will eventually be able to iron out their differences, acknowledging that the CPP-NPA-NDF can be a bit stubborn but “it’s not something insurmountable.”
Duterte scrapped the peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF in February after the NPA continued its attacks on government forces despite unilateral ceasefires declared by government and NDF, and after the communists demanded the release of some 400 rebels they call political prisoners.
Formal negotiations resumed in April, after a series of backchannel talks which resulted in the signing of an interim joint ceasefire that will take effect only after negotiators approve its guidelines. A fifth round of talks is set later this month.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/npa-wants-p15m-%E2%80%98ransom%E2%80%99-kidnapped-trader
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