NPA violates truce, holds 2 kids hostage

From the Daily Tribune (Dec 11): NPA violates truce, holds 2 kids hostage

The military yesterday scored the communist New People’s Army (NPA) for violating its self-declared truce amid the disaster brought by typhoon “Pablo” in Region XI by “hostaging” two children of an Army man who was a victim of flash floods in Davao del Norte. Lt. Col. Lyndon Paniza, the spokesman of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division (ID), said that while the NPA declared a supposed truce in typhoon-stricken areas last week, they themselves violated it by initially taking two minor children of Pfc. Lito Masaluon.

Paniza said Masaluon was on a motorcycle with his two children, aged 17 and 12, at around 9:30 a.m. when they were flagged down by seven NPA rebels at Sitio Danao in Barangay Mandalingan, Kapalong town. “They have issued a statement last week (declaring truce) but yesterday (Sunday) they conducted a checkpoint in Kapalong and fired at one of our soldiers,” said Paniza. The rebels reportedly fired at Masaluon and his children but missed. Sensing he was the target of the armed men, Masaluon, Paniza said, tried to divert the attention of the armed men from his children by running to the opposition direction. Paniza said that three NPA rebels continued chasing and firing at Masaluon while the others held the two children. Paniza said Masaluon’s two children were released hours after they were taken as hostages through the efforts of local tribal leaders.

The military spokesman noted that the NPA atrocity happened amid the massive disaster response operations being conducted by government troops in typhoon-stricken areas in Region XI. In fact, Paniza said Masaluon himself was a victim of the calamity after his house was washed away by flash floods.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/index.php/nation/item/7995-npa-violates-truce-holds-2-kids-hostage