NPAs kidnap ex-barangay executive, 2 soldiers in Cotabato

MANILA, Philippines - A former village councilman and two soldiers involved in development projects were seized the other day by communist rebels in President Roxas, Cotabato, the military said.

Col. Prudencio Asto, spokesman of the Army’s 6th Infantry Division, said the three were on board a motorcycle when they were seized by about 30 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Dalinding, Barangay Datu Inda at around 2 p.m. Thursday.

Asto identified the kidnapped former councilman as Euliory Lastimoso. Regional police reports named the two soldiers as Cpl. Delfin Sarocam and Pfc. Jayson Valenzuela.

Asto said the two soldiers belong to the 57th Infantry Battalion and were coordinating with village officials for the conduct of outreach programs in the area.

“They (kidnap victims) were about to inspect a dilapidated school in President Roxas when the incident happened,” he said.

Asto condemned the incident, noting that the kidnap victims were engaged in community development projects and not in armed operations.

“Government troops immediately conducted pursuit operations to rescue the victims,” he said.

The military has criticized the NPA for victimizing soft targets, including civilians and soldiers conducting civil-military operations.

Latest military estimates peg the communist rebels’ strength at about 4,100. Officials have been saying that the communist movement is on a decline due to the government’s anti-poverty efforts in the countryside.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it mounted 86 armed engagements against the NPA in the first quarter, down by 14 percent from the 98 recorded in the same period last year.

The military said its joint peace efforts with the police and local governments reduced the strength of the NPA by 161, higher than the 117 recorded last year.

The AFP said 117 rebels have surrendered since Jan. 1, higher than the 71 who gave themselves up in the first quarter of 2010.

Military officials attributed the higher number of rebel returnees to the implementation of Bayanihan, a new security plan that seeks to address armed rebellion through development projects and peace negotiations.  – Alexis Romero, John Unson, Rose Tamayo-Tesoro, Edith Regalado