NPA frees abducted Surigao mayor, escorts

BUTUAN CITY - Communist rebels have released a town mayor in Surigao del Sur province and his four escorts whom they kidnapped two weeks ago. In an interview on dxBR Bombo Radyo here Monday night, Ruel Agustin, spokesman of the New People's Army (NPA) command in Compostela Valley, said Lingig Mayor Roberto "Jimmy" Luna Jr. and his escorts were released earlier in the day around 5 p.m. Agustin said the five were freed along the forested boundaries of Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur and Compostela Valley. “We advise the families of Mayor Luna and his security escorts not to worry anymore as they were already released by us. We treated them well while in captivity," Agustin said. He cited humanitarian grounds in releasing Luna and his escorts, identified as Rey Abao, Pfc. Arnel Dizon, PO2 Boy de Castro, and PO3 Alan Dapitanon. The group was abducted last May 5 in Compostela Valley while on their way to Davao City. Col Augusto Tolentino, commanding officer of the Philippine Army's 401st Infantry Brigade, said they are verifying reports that a P3-million ransom was paid to the NPA rebels in exchange for Luna's release. “May mga tsismis at yung iba intelligence reports na bumayad daw ng P3 milyon ang pamilya ni Mayor Luna at ang mga malaking tao na supporters n’ya sa NPA upang siya’y ma-release (We received intelligence reports that a P3-million ransom was paid for his release)," he said. But in a statement posted on the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Website Monday night, Agustin said they released Luna "on account of his voluntary admission of culpability and issuance of a public apology in relation to the various crimes for which he stands accused of in the revolutionary People's Court. Agustin said Luna, a three-term mayor who was running for vice mayor, admitted his culpability in maintaining a large private armed group consisting of police and military elements and hired goons allegedly to further his political and economic interests that in the process "violated the human rights of the masses." "The NPA and the revolutionary masses enjoin Luna to desist from doing acts inimical to the interest of the people, particularly peasants and lumads, respect their political, economic, social and other human rights and make amends to those whom he had done injustice to," Agustin said. - with Ben Serrano/KBK, GMANews.TV