NPA kidnaps unarmed militiaman, 2 sons in Bayugan City

Camp Bancasi, Butuan City – Field unit commanders of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) claimed yesterday that the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), has abducted a member of the Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU)-Active Auxiliary (CAA) and his two sons at their residence in Barangay Grace State, Bayugan City, in Agusan del Sur province.

Maj. Christian C. Uy, regional spokesman of the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao 4th Infantry (Diamond) Division (4th ID), disclosed that the CAFGU-CAA member and his two sons were abducted an hour before the government officially announced the declaration of suspension of military operations (SOMO) effective at 12 midnight Dec. 18 until 12 midnight of Jan.19.

“CAA Memerto N. Araño, together with his two sons Christopher and Donald, were kidnapped by more or less 30 fully armed men believed to be members of guerilla-Front Committee 8 of the CPP-NPA North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (NCMRC),” reported Uy.

He said Araño was an active member of the CAFGU detachment at Villa Undayon Patrol Base, Barangay Villa Undayon, Bayugan City.

He also said the CAA member was unarmed and off-duty when kidnapped at his residence in Barangay Grace State last Wednesday evening.

“However, his sons were later released by the perpetrators,” said Uy.

Major General Oscar T. Lactao, commanding general of the Army’s Northeastern and Northern Mindanao 4th ID condemned this new abduction by the NPA.

“This is another criminal act perpetrated by the NPAs which is kidnaping,” he said.

The top AFP official in the area instructed subordinate unit commanders to coordinate with the local law enforcers to track down and locate the perpetrators.

“We are encouraging everybody to challenge the NPA’s to respect the human rights and the provisions of the law, said Lactao, adding that “we are all Filipinos and no one among us would become winners in this senseless war because at the end we will emerge as losers.”

Source:http://www.mb.com.ph/npa-kidnaps-unarmed-militiaman-2-sons-in-bayugan-city/