BUTUAN City, Jan 8 (PNA) — The Caraga Regional Police Office 13 insists that their personnel who are now in the hands of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were victims of abduction and not prisoners of war or POWs.
The three police personnel PO3 Democrito Polvorosa, Jr., PO1 Marichel U. Contemplo and PO1 Jonny Amper were abducted almost two months ago in two different places of the province of Surigao del Norte.
Amper was assigned at the Malimono Municipal Police Station, Malomono, Surigao del Norte when he was abducted by the NPAs on Nov. 12, last year. He was tasked by his chief to verify some reports of armed men sightings and to serve a warrant on a nearby village, when he was abducted.
Polvorosa and Contemplo was assigned at Alegria Municipal Station, in Alegria, Surigao del Norte. The two were on board their police patrol car and were on their way to attend a function of the Department of Social Welfare and Development as part of their community relations work, when they were seized by the rebels.
The police statement released on Thursday and also posted at their Regional Police Community Relations Division 13 Facebook Account (https://www.facebook.com/rpcrdpro13) in Cebuano language, belies George Madlos, a.k.a. “Ka Oris” of NDF (National Democratic Front ) Mindanao claim that the police personnel in their possession were prisoners of war (POWs).
“There was no war at the time when the three police personnel were abducted,” the police statement said. They pointed out that that incident was a “kidnapping” or an abduction and a violation of human rights.
The three police personnel accordingly, were just doing their respective duties in line with their service. “They were gunpointed, handcuffed and were brought to the hinterlands where they are still in the possession of the rebels until now,” the police statement said.
The statement also claimed that the victims were not afforded humane consideration by the rebels for one of the victims (Contemplo) is breastfeeding a 9-month old child.
The same statement pointed out that the rebels did not consider the feelings of the victim’s families. The incident, according to the police statement is not contributory to peace and development.
“It just sowed fear and disturbed the peacefulness and development of the community,” the statement said.
The statement also urged the public to wake up and to resist what they claimed as deception by the rebel groups who accordingly are posing themselves as “soldiers of the poor” as in reality, they are the causes why the community remained poor as the rebels themselves resists development, the police statement said. (PNA)