North Cotabato barangay chief denies being kidnapped by NPA

Magpet, North Cotabato (Google maps)

KIDAPAWAN CITY, North Cotabato – A barangay (village) chairman in North Cotabato has denied he was abducted by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels as earlier claimed by the police and military.

Michael Lingaro, village chair of Mahingcog in the town of Magpet, came out to deny reports from the police that he was abducted by the NPA rebels.

He said the rebels just tagged him along while they were on their way out of the village.

“They brought me when they fled, but because of my plea to them, they let me go home instead,” Lingaro told a local radio statio here.

Supt. Romeo Galgo Jr. , spokesperson of the provincial police command, earlier told reporters that the rebels arrived in the village at 9 a.m. on April 9 and ordered the men to come out of their homes.

After identifying Lingaro, the rebels left with the victim.

When told about Lingaro’s claim that he was not abducted, the police officer said he was “still waiting for reports from the field.”

The NPA’s Mt. Apo Sub-Regional Command-NPA in Southern Mindanao, in a statement also denied abducting Lingaro. It, however, said 32 assorted firearms were confiscated from Lingaro and his militiamen.

“Lingaro and his group are being used by the Army’s 39th IB to conduct counter-revolutionary terror on civilians in the hinterlands,” the NPA said.

Meawhile, a soldier was killed in a clash with NPA rebels in the village of Balete in Magpet on Monday afternoon.

Mayor Rene Rubino said residents of Barangay Balete have fled their homes for fear of getting caught in the crossfire.

A rebel was also killed in the clash, according to Police Officer 1 Aldrin Armada, duty investigator of the Magpet police.  SFM