Soldier, militiaman abducted in Davao Oriental

DAVAO CITY – Suspected New People’s Army (NPA) rebels reportedly abducted two government troops in Mati City in Davao Oriental province on Sunday, the police reported Monday.

The incident took place even as representatives from both the government and the communists were preparing for the resumption later this month of peace talks in the Netherlands.

At least 20 NPA rebels snatched at gunpoint Corporal Johannes Parreño and militiaman Dindo Sagayno at a rebel roadblock in Barangay Buso around 5:30 p.m., Chief Insp. Milgrace Driz, Southern Mindanao police spokesperson, said.

Parreño, a member of the Army’s 28th Infantry Battalion, and Sagayno, a Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) assigned with the Army’s 72nd Cadre Battalion, were traversing the provincial road on a habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) and were heading to their base in Barangay Taguibo, also in Mati City, when stopped at a checkpoint set up by armed men at Crossing Pising, Purok (Community) Dalia.

Driz said the victims were then taken by the gunmen, believed to be members of the NPA’s Pulang Bagani Company (PBC) 6 under an alias Jeg, as they fled to an unknown direction.

She said operations were now being conducted by the Army’s 28th IB and the 701st Infantry Brigade to locate and rescue the kidnapped troops.

The abductions came as government and rebel representatives have agreed to reopen talks to end the nearly half-century of communist insurgency that has killed over 40, 000 across the country.

The Norway-brokered talks would be preceded by an agreement by both parties to halt the fighting “to stimulate the atmosphere for peace negotiations two weeks before the peace talks resume,” Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Ma. Sison had said last week.