THE PHILIPPINE National Police created a special investigation task group in connection to the five police officers held captive by the New People’s Army in Barangay Mapula, Paquibato District on Saturday.
Speaking in yesterday’s AFP-PNP press conference held at Task Force Davao, Chief Supt. Manuel R. Gaerlan, acting director of the Police Regional Office-XI, said the task group will start to interview witnesses and gather evidence.
“The focus of the investigation is for the preparation of filing of charges (against the NPA) with the appropriate evidence,” Gaerlan said.
Task Group “Mapula” is headed by city police director, Sr. Supt. Vicente D. Danao Jr.; Chief Insp. Johanna May Lagundi, assistant commander; and members Sr. Supt. Noemi P. Austero of Regional Crime Laboratory Office; Supt. Donald Brillante, chief of Investigation and Detection Management Branch; Chief Insp. Ramil Macarampat of Intelligence Division; city spokesperson, Chief Insp. Milgrace Driz; Sr. Insp. Bryan Deiparine, officer-in-charge of Paquibato Police Precinct and investigators SPO4 George Alojado and PO3 Luther Napoles.
According to Gaerlan, their policy is to never negotiate with any criminal or terror group but they are open if there are any agencies or individual that can help facilitate the release of the police officers.
Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has already committed to help negotiate for the freedom of the five abducted policemen.
”I was informed that the members of the family approached the mayor but I don’t have any personal knowledge on it,” he said.
Based also on the reports they received, the five policemen are still being held in the vicinity of Paquibato.
Capt. Rhyan Batchar, spokesperson of 10th Infantry Division, said hot pursuit operations are still ongoing in Paquibato area.
Batchar said they are also conducting a separate investigation through the the Board of Inquiry in relation to the attack on the 72nd detachment in Barangay Salapawan, also in Paquibato.
“This is to know if there is any lapses committed by the soldiers and Cafgu,” he said.
The Davao Regional Police Office reportedly received reports that the five personnel of the Paquibato Police Precinct, including commander Chief Insp. Leonardo Tarongoy, are being subjected to “sub-human conditions” by their NPA captors.
Aside from Tarongoy, also held were PO3 Rosenie L. Cabuenas, PO3 Rudolf Pacete, PO3 Abdul Azis A. Ali Jr and PO2 Neil C. Arellano after they went to Barangay Mapula in Paquibato District to investigate the attack on a detachment at 11:45 a.m. of April 16.
“We are calling on the Commission on Human Rights to investigate these reports. PNP officers are also human beings who have rights and deserve humane treatment and similar attention from the CHR,” said Chief Insp. Andrea dela Cerna, regional police spokesperson, in a statement.
The NPA already owned up to the abduction of Tarongoy and four other police officers.
In a press release sent to TIMES, Rigoberto F. Sanchez, spokesperson of the NPA-Regional Operations Command, said they also seized two 9mm pistols and one .45 caliber pistol from the cops.
“The POWs will be held in custody pending an investigation for possible war crimes and other crimes against the people and the revolutionary movement,” he said.
But dela Cerna said that their records show that the captives “have no pending administrative or criminal cases and they have not violated any war crime or crimes against humanity.”
“We, therefore, demand their immediate release,” she said.
Meanwhile, another unidentified member of New People’s Army was killed in the pursuit operation in Sitio Banban, Barangay Lumiad in Paquibato District on Tuesday morning.
Troops were able to recover two hand grenades and several backpacks and personal belongings.
On Monday, one soldier and a militiaman were killed, while two others were wounded, when pursuing troops clashed with rebels in Sitio Banban, Barangay Lumiad in Paquibato District at 8 a.m.
Meanwhile, a communist guerilla was also killed and a firearm recovered at the site.
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