Soldier abducted by alleged NPAs in Bukidnon

May 6, 2017

A soldier, who was off duty, was abducted by alleged New People’s Army (NPA) members while doing blocking operations as they attacked a security agency within the city of Valencia in Bukidnon province on Friday night. Captain Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said an undetermined number of armed men attacked the Davao Security and Investigation Agency (DACIA) compound at the vicinity of Juanilla Subdivision, Poblacion, Valencia City around 6:30pm. The military said these were members of the New People’s Army. “According to the witnesses, the NPA bandits disguised as PNP (Philippine National Police) personnel entered the Dasia security agency compound and started shouting and pointing guns toward everyone in the area,” Martinez said. “The NPAs took the agency's firearms and stole some of their valuable belongings and placed it inside the agency's two armored vehicles,” he added. Martinez said during blocking operations, the armed men abducted a soldier who was passing the area on a  motorcycle with his wife. “Outside the compound was another group of NPA bandits who were also dressed as PNP personnel. They conducted checkpoints and started to flag down all motorists who passed by the vicinity,” Martinez said. “One off-duty soldier, who was unarmed and in civilian clothes, together with his wife on board a motorcycle was flagged down by the bandit group,. The NPAs immediately dragged him off his motorcycle and hurled him inside one of the armored vehicles,” he added. Martinez said “the soldier's wife, who was shocked at the moment, was pushed down by the NPA to a mudded area.” He said the rebels fled the area on board one pick-up, a van, and two armored vehicles. Martinez said during the follow-up operation on Saturday morning, the Philippine National Police arrested a reported NPA informants at his rented boarding house after his location was tipped-off by a concerned civilian. Recovered from his possession includes subversive documents, four pieces chargers, one camouflage raincoat and sniper veil, one surveillance eyeglasses, one black jacket jungle hammock, mountaineering pants, one pair black gloves, five pieces dry batteries, medical kits and cellular phone. Martinez said the arrested suspect was temporarily detained at Kalasag, Valencia City Police Station for proper disposition while government forces are still conducting pursuit operation and rescued the abducted soldier. "We decry this another dastardly act committed by the NPA. We promise everyone that there will be no let up on our rescue operation to put pressure on the NPAs for them to immediately release our soldier and to put an end to the violence they committed in the area." Major General Benjamin Madrigal Jr, commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said. (Robina Asido/DMS)