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By Mike U. Crismundo
Camp Bancasi, Butuan City – A barangay chairman and his wife, and a father and his son were abducted in separate incidents allegedly by members of New people’s Army (NPA) in Agusan del Sur and Compostela Valley (ComVal), Capt. Rhyan B. Batchar, spokesperson of the Army’s 10th Infantry (Agila) Division (10th ID) yesterday said.
In a statement, the 10th ID spokesperson said late reports showed that Barangay Pangyan Chairman Rene Carlos and his wife Maribeth were abducted by armed men believed to be communist insurgents along a barangay road in Pangyan, Trento, Agusan del Sur last February 5.
It appeared that the rebels only targeted the Carlos couple as a relative, a barangay councilor and tanod, who were with them at the time of the incident, were later released, according to Batchar.
Elements of the 25th IB, along with the Trento Municipal Police Station (MPS), were still conducting search and rescue operations for the abducted barangay chairman and his wife in the mountain border of Trento town and Monkayo, ComVal province, Batchar said.
Meanwhile, a separate report from the 71st Infantry Battalion said that a certain Jun-jun Custodio and his son Marjun were also kidnapped by the group of a certain “Ka Mokloy,” allegedly the team leader of the NPA’s Milisya ng Bayan in Barangay Malamudao in Maco town, ComVal province last February 8, Batchar disclosed.
The fate of the abducted father and son was still not known as of press time.
Brig. Gen. Macairog Alberto, commanding general of the 1001st Infantry Brigade condemned the abduction of the civilians, saying “the NPA abducts innocent civilians who they intend to use as human shields.”
Tags: Army’s 10th Infantry, Manila, Manila Bulletin, Manila news, News today, NPA, Rash of rebel kidnappings in Agusan ComVal
