LUCENA CITY – A spokesperson of the New People’s Army rebels holding three Rizal policemen has scoffed at the police and the military for the continuous military operation in the province despite proof that the captives were “safe and well.”

Macario ‘Ka Karyo’ Liwanag, spokesperson of the NPA’s Narciso Antazo Aramil Command, said in a statement sent to the Inquirer that after the rebels presented the “proof of life” that the police and military had demanded, the government forces even went “berserk” in their rescue mission.

“For them, all people living in the hinterlands of Rizal are NPA fighters or supporters. Lowly farmers, settlers and tribal minorities in the hinterlands of Rizal are being harassed and terrorized by continuous military operations,” he said.

Liwanag said the rebels were again releasing photos of Insp. Rex Cuntapay, PO1 Alberto Umali and PO1 Marvin Agasen which he claimed were taken on Feb. 20 while the lawmen were undergoing medical check-ups inside “NPA territory” somewhere in the hinterlands of Rizal.

Maj. Gen. Roland Detabali, head of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division based in Tanay, Rizal, said he believed that the policemen were alive based on a photo earlier released by the rebels sometime last week.

“But we just can’t simply suspend our military operations based on the mere demands of the NPA. It is our mandate to go after these terrorists. With or without their hostages, we will continuously pursue them,” he said over the phone.

He denied that government forces were terrorizing civilians in the course of “internal security” operations. “They were all rehashed and baseless charges intended to malign our forces.”

Detabali said the government forces were obliged to obey the official government position of “no negotiation with terrorists.”

However, he made it clear that it would be a different case for independent negotiators helping the policemen’s families. “They are free to negotiate in behalf of the families,” Detabali explained.

“We might even suspend military offensive, if requested by private negotiators, but only for a limited period and limited area of coverage,” he said.

He said calls by the rebels to stop the military offensives “only show that they are now feeling the pressure from our operation.”

Detabali turned the tables against the NPA and asked why the guerrillas were still holding the three despite their earlier declaration that the policemen had already been found innocent by a “rebel’s court.”

Liwanag said the captives were allowed to contact their families by cell phone on Feb. 21.

They “texted their wives to assure them that they are still alive, safe, treated fairly and humanely by the NPA,” he said.

Cuntapay was even allowed to send a text message to his immediate superior, he added.

Joyce Cuntapay, wife of Insp. Cuntapay and acting as spokesperson of the policemen’s families, confirmed receiving the text messages.

“Our husbands are asking why is it that the military and police are still conducting operations despite our request,” she told the Inquirer.

Failing to get attention from the government on their appeal to suspend military offensives in Rizal, the wives directed their call at the Utrecht-based communist leadership.

Joyce and Grace Umali received another letter from their husbands on Feb. 13, which said that they should send an e-mail appeal to the National Democratic Front in the Netherlands.

In a separate phone interview, Barbara Agasen, however, said she had yet to receive her letter from her husband.