Bato vows to get abducted cops back from rebs

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

PHILIPPINE National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa  on Monday said the PNP was exerting all efforts to secure the release of the three policemen and one nonuniformed personnel abducted by  communist rebels in Malimono, Surigao del Norte, on Sunday.

“We don’t leave our people behind. We will do all we can to recover them,” Dela Rosa told reporters in an interview.

The PNP chief said the police would conduct negotiations first, and failing that, they would conduct an operation to rescue the victims.

“If it will take a war to get them out, we will go to war. But we will talk with them first. If they don’t want to listen, we go to war. We cannot allow ourselves to be at the mercy of the enemies of the state,” Dela Rosa said.

According to a report from the PNP Caraga office, about 10 suspected New People’s Army rebels took SPO3 Santiago Lamanilao of the Surigao City police and PO3 Jayroll Bagayas, PO2 Caleb Sinaca and Rodrigo Angob, all staff assigned to the Malimono police station, at around 2:15 p.m. Sunday in Barangay Cagtinae.

The suspects were wearing military uniforms and the victims were last seen tied up as they were being brought to the mountainous area of the town, the report said. Jerome Aning