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AFP: 6 ‘abducted’ Abra students already home


The six supposed students from Abra earlier reported to have been abducted by soldiers were already accounted for, military officials said Sunday as they clarified that the students never got into the hands of troops. In separate telephone interviews, 8th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang and 41st Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Raul Bautista said the six were delayed on their way home due to the on-going military operations. Maclang said the six were about to return to their residence in Tubo town in Abra from the adjacent town of Sagada in Mt. Province when they learned of the counter-insurgency operation at the towns’ boundaries. To avoid being caught in the cross fire, Maclang said the six took a longer route. “They took another route going to Baguio City, Benguet and then to Tubo…They were not missing, they were not abducted [by the military]," the Army general said. “That’s what really happened," Maclang said, adding that local government officials of Abra were planning to present the six to the media in the coming days to dispute claims that they were abducted by the military. Neither Maclang nor Bautista, however, could say when the six, four of them women, motored to Benguet to reach Tubo town. Bautista said the military operation began last June 2 and is still ongoing. “When they learned of the military operation in the area, they took a longer route to their homes. They motored to Baguio, to Bangued and finally to Tubo," said Bautista, who estimated the travel to take several days. Bautista clarified that "only one of the six had been confirmed a student." He said the rest are grownups and in their 40s. “We were really surprised why there were allegations of kidnapping," said Bautista. He said local government officials have signed a manifesto, clearing the military of any liability in the supposed abduction. Last Friday, New People’s Army spokesman Gregorio Rosal issued a statement condemning the military for the kidnapping of the six. He blamed elements of the 54th Infantry Battalion as behind the alleged abduction. - GMANews.TV

Tags: insurgency, npa, abra
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