AFP refutes reports it kidnapped girl

The military yesterday refuted a newspaper article and a report over a radio station that it abducted an eight-year-old daughter of a high-ranking leader of the New People’s Army.

Elements of the 78th Infantry Battalion based in Tuburan town, some of the town’s officials and some witnesses held a press conference yesterday morning in the office of Cebu Provincial Police Office director Carmelo Valmoria to refute the article that came out in a national newspaper last Saturday.

In the article, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas claimed the army abducted and interrogated an eight-year-old girl in barangay Mag-Alwa, Tuburan, whose parents are accused of being members of the NPA.

The girl was allegedly picked up by the elements of the 78th IB while she was heading home from school last October 16 and was brought to their detachment in barangay Gaang where she was allegedly subjected to tactical interrogation about the whereabouts of her parents.

But in yesterday’s press conference 78th IB commander Raymundo Bañares said that they have witnesses to show proof that the child was voluntarily brought to their detachment in barangay Gaang in Tuburan town.

This was supported by the local officials and teachers of the Mag-Alwa Elementary school.

Rogelio Barcenal, who claimed to be an NPA recruit, yesterday said the girl was left under his care by her parents Lyndon Botilla, who is a squad leader of the NPA Front 2 committee based in the mid north area, and his wife Emiliana, last October 5.  He was also told to just let the child continue with her studies at the Mag–Alwa Elementary school.

It was Lyndon who recruited him to join the communist movement last January.

Barcenal said he accepted the child as he thought Botilla will be back after a few days, after Botilla never came back Barcenal and his wife decided to turn the girl over to the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office.

For fear that something might happened to their family since the child is a daughter of a rebel, Rogelio’s nephew Glenn Barcenal brought the child to the army detachment in barangay Gaang last October 16 and told them the child was left in their house.

Lt. Lawrence Siabol, Platoon leader of the 78th IB detachment in barangay Gaang, said they took the child into their custody for one night, gave her food and let her sleep in an adjacent day-care center.  The following morning at about 7 a.m. the child was brought to the MSWD in Tuburan. — Flor Z. Perolina/BRP