'Villagers protecting forest rangers' kidnappers'

DAVAO CITY , Philippines  – Authorities said the villagers in the boundary between the town of Sibagat in Agusan del Sur and Butuan City where the five Department of Environment and Natural Resources forest rangers are held captive, are the ones protecting their abductors led by a certain Andot Behing, a Manobo.

“Behing’s group is not really that strong. They are only very few and they do not even have high-powered firearms. It is just that the community itself is the one protecting them,” a source in the military intelligence group said.

Besides, the same officer said, authorities are confident that the lives of the captives are not really threatened and that they are giving way to the negotiation initiated by National Commission on Indigenous Peoples Region 13 director Jose Jake Dumagan.

“We have been just on standby and should the negotiation fail, we are ready to launch rescue operations,” The STAR source said.

Behing’s group released Emiliano Gatillano Jr. and Efren Sabuero Thursday afternoon and continued to hold DENR personnel Gabriel Arlan, team leader, Teofredo Pojadas, Romeo Espinido, Rudy Clar and Eduardo Abogatac.

Dumagan reportedly returned yesterday from the hinterlands of Sibagat town where the five captives were holed up by Behing and his group. He reported to the Butuan City crisis management committee that the five captives were in good condition and were even allowed to freely roam around Behing’s hideout and play cards.

Dumagan also sought the guidance of DENR Region 13 director Edilberto Buiser regarding Behing’s demand as to what would be the allowable timber cut that could be granted to the lumads based on their customary farming.

Demands

DENR Caraga regional officials earlier granted one of the six demands of the kidnappers by suspending the operation of three CBFMAs in Barangay Padi-ay in Sibagat.

The suspended CBFMAs cover the Iligan Tribal Forest Development covering area of 2,639 hectares, Hampapalay Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative covering an area of 2,162 hectares and the Bagani Tribal Returnees Development Cooperative with an area of 1,204.58 hectares in Barangay Bartolinao also in Sibagat town.

Behing also reportedly demanded for a share in the government’s P200-million Upland Development and Reforestation Project and the awarding of some 3,000 cubic meters of confiscated logs of hardwood species to indigenous peoples in the area.

Behing reportedly also demanded the cancellation of the permit of Merjourie Woodworks, a joint venture of Manila-based traders and local counterparts.

The abductors have also sought the abolition or removal of checkpoints from Barangay Senaka (Sibagat, Agusan del Sur side) to Barangay Anticala in Butuan, stressing that they did not demand any ransom money for the release of the DENR forest rangers, Behing is likewise demanding for an execution of a waiver by government to file kidnapping charges before any court of law.

However, Buiser said, he still has to meet with DENR Secretary Lito Atienza tomorrow to discuss the other demands of Behing’s group.

No contact with kidnappers

In related developments, Butuan City Police Station 4 Commander Senior Inspector Estelito Lamosa German Jr. disclosed that his office no longer has communication lines or contact with the armed lumad groups who still held captive six DENR field personnel after it ‘conditionally” released two, Thursday afternoon.

The police station where German is the station chief has jurisdictional responsibility in the area where the eight DENR employees were kidnapped.

In fact few hours after the government workers were snatched in a checkpoint in Barangay Anticala, barangay officials headed by Anticala barangay captian Antonio Bao immediately reported the incident to Butuan City Police Station 4.

“We don’t have contact with the kidnappers now, the six DENR employees are still in their hands as of 11 a.m. today Saturday,” German told The STAR.

Yesterday afternoon, Caraga police regional director Chief Superintendent Lino Calingasan said in a press statement said intelligence operatives and uniformed government troops remained preposition and ready for rescue operations.

Calingasan claimed the Butuan City Police Office is ready for filing charges of kidnapping against Leandro “Andot” Behing, the leader of the armed lumad group, who admitted responsibility in the kidnapping of eight DENR employees.