BUTUAN CITY , Philippines – The New People’s Army (NPA) admitted in a radio interview yesterday morning that it was responsible for the disarming of a convoy of Surigao del Sur Rep. Philip Pichay in Tago town last Wednesday.
Police earlier reported that the convoy of Pichay and Tago mayoral bet Henrich Pimentel, son of incumbent Mayor Jun Pimentel, was flagged down by some 100 fully armed NPA guerrillas along the national highway in Barangay Cabangahan, Tago town.
In an interview with RMN’s dxBC, Jorge Madlos, the NPA’s Mindanao spokesman, read a statement saying that their men seized 10 high-powered firearms, including four AK-47s and three M-16 Armalite rifles, with live ammunition from Pichay’s group.
Madlos, meanwhile, criticized the regional and provincial offices of the Commission on Elections for allegedly failing to implement election laws like the posting of campaign materials in designated areas and checking the many police and military security personnel employed by what he described as “crooked politicians” in the Caraga region.
Madlos also admitted that the NPA also had disarmed the groups of re-electionist Mayors Ike Pimentel and Carlos Egay Sr. of Tandag City and Gigaquit, Surigao del Norte, respectively.
The NPA also seized firearms from the group of re-electionist Mayor Jun Polizon of Tagana-an, Surigao del Sur last April 22.
Madlos warned candidates in the Caraga region not to tag along many armed civilian supporters and police and military security escorts, saying this violates election laws.
“We warned those who continue to violate election laws that they will eventually be subjected to disarming and eventually to attacks if they still insist on doing it over and over again despite our warning,” he said.