NPA rebs demand SOMO in 4 provinces for captives' release

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  – The New People’s Army (NPA) has set certain conditions in exchange for the freedom of captive Mayor Henry Dano of Lingig, Surigao del Sur and two soldiers who served as his escorts.

According to the local crisis management committee headed by Surigao del Sur Gov. Johnny Pimentel, the NPA rebels demanded a suspension of military operations (SOMO) not only in Surigao del Sur but also in Davao Oriental, Compostela Valley and Bukidnon so Dano and his two security aides could be released after over a month in captivity.

The insurgents reportedly placed Dano under investigation, and also probed Cpl. Alrey Villasis Desamparado and Pfc. Allan Pelino Saban for allegedly being part of intelligence operations against the NPA.

However, Lt. Gen. Arthur Tabaquero, chief of the Armed Forces’ Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said it is impossible to meet the NPA demand as the military could not carry out a SOMO covering such a wide area.

“It is definitely impossible. Why should we stop our job as protector of our people just to give in to their demands?” Tabaquero said.

Tabaquero said military operations could only be temporarily halted in certain areas and for a certain duration to pave the way for the release of the captives.

“But definitely we cannot do what they want us to do,” he said.

“It is like they are asking that the SOMO should cover the entire Eastmincom and that is impossible,” he added.

The NPA earlier presented proof of life for Dano and the two soldiers, whose wives have asked local officials to help facilitate their release.

Meanwhile, the National Democratic Front (NDF) yesterday said the government is making the resumption of formal talks impossible due to its refusal to release communist rebels who are allegedly working as peace consultants. 

NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili said they would not agree to resume the negotiations if the government does not release communist rebels who are covered by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

Under the JASIG, communists who are working as peace consultants enjoy immunity from arrest.

Agcaoili said the NDF has been exhausting all diplomatic means to ensure the resumption of the talks.

The government, however, responded by denying its obligation to release 17 people covered by the JASIG, Agcaoili said.

The government has accused the NDF of slowing down the talks by demanding the release of their alleged consultants before proceeding to discussions on important reforms.

Government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla has said there is no way to verify the NDF’s claim that the people it wants released are covered by the JASIG.

He said efforts to validate the identities of people whom the NDF claims are covered by JASIG failed due to the rebels’ failure to provide photographs.

The government tried to validate the identities of the alleged peace consultants in Utrecht, the Netherlands.

The procedure involved matching the identities of the alleged consultants using pseudonyms in their documents of identification with separate photographs that were placed in a safety box in a Netherlands bank in 2003. – With Alexis Romero