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NPA to military: Combat ops stalling release of 4 soldiers


Communist rebels in Mindanao have warned the military over the weekend that continued combat operations may delay the release of four soldiers abducted in Compostela Valley last month. Anvil Guinto, spokesman of the Crucifino Uballas command of the New People’s Army (NPA), said that while they recognize appeals for the soldiers' release, the Army's 10th Infantry Division is a major stumbling block. "The arrested [soldiers] are treated well and their rights fully respected under the protocols of war. They have slowly adopted to the guerilla conditions of their captivity," he said in a statement posted late Saturday on the Communist Party of the Philippines website. Still in captivity are Corporals Marcial Bawagan and Ariel Asumo; Corporal Eduardo Alcala, AFP detachment commander in Barangay Anitapan, Mabini, Compostela Valley; and militiaman Victor Pitogo. He said the four are being tried for "various complaints of human rights violations and other violations of international humanitarian laws." Guinto said that while they try to ensure the safety of the prisoners, the security aspect can be completely addressed only if the 10th ID stops offensive military operations. "The NPA reiterates that these offensive military operations will only prolong the custodial detention and derail the speedy resolution of the legal and judicial processes against the three arrested [soldiers] and their trusted militiaman. The intensified combat operations of the 10th ID-AFP not only aggravates the situation of the four Prisoners of War but will also result to grave human rights abuses against civilians," he said. - KBK, GMANews.TV

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