NPA declares Army man prisoner of war in South Cotabato

From the pro-CPP Davao Today published in the pro-CPP Bicol Today (Jun 4): NPA declares Army man prisoner of war in South Cotabato

The New People’s Army in South Cotabato declared an Army trooper its prisoner of war.

Alejandro O. Magiting, spokesperson of the Mt. Daguma Sub Regional Operations Command – Far South Mindanao Region of the New People’s Army, in a press release named the Army trooper as Private First Class Khen R. Subere. Magiting said Subere with serial number 905783 is a member of the 27th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army whom they “arrested while conducting civic military operations within a guerrilla zone in the Municipality of T’boli, Province of South Cotabato, on 12 April 2015.”

Magiting said that Subere’s POW status “means that he is being accorded with his right to due process and humane treatment while in detention in keeping with the CPP – NPA’s legacy in abiding by international humanitarian laws.”

Magiting said the soldier is “currently undergoing investigation due to his active participation in the conduct of the AFP’s ferocious Oplan Bayanihan, US – Aquino regime’s counter – insurgency plan which has brought forth atrocious violations of the people’s human rights and massive plunder of the country’s natural resources, especially in Mindanao.”

“The masses’ support with the conduct of Subere’s arrest speaks true of the widening mass base of the revolutionary government and unyielding loyalty of the masses,”said Magiting.

Magiting said the arrest of Subere “belies the claims of military and local officials of the reactionary government that areas under the FSMR territory, specifically in South Cotobato, are NPA – free.”

Meanwhile, the Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastminco) said they arrested two alleged members of the NPA in Barangay Sallab, Magpet, North Cotabato early morning Wednesday.

The Army identified the two as Roger Antipuesto alias Jess and Ryan Calio alias Bunso who “voluntarily surrendered to the soldiers of 57th Infantry Battalion of the 10th Infantry Division, Philippine Army who were on security patrol.”

Early last month, three Army troopers from the same battalion were also killed by NPAs in the nearby town of Arakan.

http://bicoltoday.com/2015/06/04/npa-declares-army-man-prisoner-of-war-in-south-cotabato/