NPA to release 4 hostages if military halts operations

MANILA, Philippines—Communist rebels said they were ready to release four jail guards held hostage by the New People’s Army since late July but only on the condition that the military and police suspend their offensive operations.

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines issued a statement Thursday expressing willingness to release the four employees of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology who were captured in Bukidnon while transporting convicted inmates to the Davao Penal Farm.

The communists called the four jail officers “prisoners of war” and ignored appeals for their release by their families.

“For humanitarian reasons in response to repeated appeals of the families of the four prisoners of war and as a confidence-building measure to enhance the atmosphere for the GPH (government of the Philippines)-NDFP peace negotiations, the NDFP is taking this decision,” said NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni.

But Jalandoni said the NDFP would order of release “as soon as the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) and Suspension of Offensive Police Operations (SOPO) are issued in writing.”

“We require that the SOMO and SOPO allow the necessary, reasonable and flexible scale of time and area for the safe and orderly release of the captives at the initiative of their NPA custodians,” he said.

Jalandoni added that the NDFP’s revolutionary organ in Mindanao would specify the area and time period for the SOMO and SOPO “and other needed requirements” to ensure the safe and orderly release of the four jail guards.

The BJMP employees – Ozamiz City Jail warden Inspector Erico Llamazares, Cagayan de Oro City jail chief escort Inspector Murphy Tujog, Jail Officer 2 Rogelio Beguntes and Jail officer 1 Roland Bajuyo – were transporting eight convicted prisoners when they were captured.

Their two-vehicle convoy, also bearing NPA leader Dennis Rodenas, who had been convicted of illegal possession of explosives, was traversing Quezon town in Bukidnon when flagged down by communist rebels posing as soldiers. The rebels seized the four and sprung Rodenas. They eventually allowed the rest of the convoy to proceed to Davao del Norte.