Suspected rebels disarm govt militiamen in Davao Sur raid

Suspected communist insurgents on early Wednesday disarmed government militiamen and held several civilians captive for over two hours following a raid on a village in Davao del Sur, belated reports reaching the local military said Friday. In a text message to reporters, Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar of the 10th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office said an undetermined number of suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels harassed residents of Sitio Labidangan, Upper Bala in Magsaysay town around 5 a.m. Wednesday. The rebels, headed by one Bobo Fernandez of the NPA's Guerilla Front 72, then disarmed members of the civilian volunteer organization in the area, Aguilar said. Seized from the government militiamen were four homemade shotguns, one caliber 357 revolver as well as cellular phones of the residents. Aguilar said the rebels held the civilians captive for more than two hours before retreating toward Mount Maponges. He added that the suspects threatened the civilians not to report what happened to the military, the police, or the media. Aguilar said troops from the 39th Infantry Battalion have since coordinated with local police on the charges and operations that may be used against the suspects. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF), the umbrella organization of the mainstream communist movement in the Philippines, remain stalled since August 2004. — with Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMANews.TV