NPA rebels ‘abduct’ village chief, 3 others, in Oriental Mindoro

CITY OF CALAPAN — Four people, including a village chief, were allegedly kidnapped by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Bansud town in Oriental Mindoro province Friday night, police said in a report Saturday.

Police Lt. Col. Socrates Faltado, Mimaropa police information officer, identified the four victims as Raymund Malupa, Louie Mebdinille, Ricky Capillo, and Barangay (village) Malo, Bansud chief Peter Delos Santos.

Faltado said the alleged “extortion and kidnapping” happened around 8 p.m. Friday in Malo.

He said around 10 suspected rebels, one of them a woman, clad in military uniforms, abducted the victims and escaped towards sitios (sub-village) Sawmill and Anaw in the same village.

A report said Delos Santos is a known supporter of the incumbent and re-electionist Bansud Mayor Angel Saulong.

On Thursday, Saulong told police that while conducting a campaign rally at Malo, he received a text message from the NPA demanding payment of a permit-to-campaign.

He said the rebels also threatened to harm the candidates running for the May elections campaigning in the area.