Release cops, rebs told

By ARMANDO B. FENEQUITO JR.
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 11 urged the New People’s Army (NPA) to immediately release the station commander of Paquibato Police Station and his four subordinates who were captured by rebels in Paquibato District, Davao City last Saturday.
PRO 11 spokesperson Chief Inspector Andrea delaCerna said in a statement that Chief Insp. Leonardo V. Tarongoy,  Police Officer (PO)3 Rosenie L. Cabuenas, PO3 Rudolf Pacete, PO3 Abdul Azis A. Ali Jr and PO2 Neil C. Arellano are dedicated and disciplined public servants who are well loved and respected in the community they serve.
“Records will show that these police officers have no pending administrative or criminal cases and they have not violated any war crime or crimes against humanity,” she said.
DelaCerna said the statement of a certain Rigoberto Sanchez, who claims to be the spokesperson of the NPA Regional Operations Command- Southern Mindanao Region (ROC-SMR), states that the 1st Pulang Bagani Command is responsible for the abduction of the police officers and claims that the PNP personnel are held as “Prisoners of War”.
She said the Philippine National Police (PNP) denounced the lawless acts committed against the law enforcers since the country is not at war and there is no declaration of war.
“Therefore, their continued detention is illegal under existing Philippine or any international laws. The Police Officers are civilians and not military personnel or combatants. They were performing regular police functions and armed only with handguns when they were intercepted by the lawless armed groups,” she said..
She said the PRO 11 has received reports that the five police officers are tied or handcuffed to make shift animal cages under sub-human conditions.
“We are calling on the Commission on Human Rights to investigate these reports. PNP officers are also human beings who have rights and deserve humane treatment and similar attention from the CHR,” she said.
The five police officers were abducted by around 50 armed rebels at about 11:45am of April 16, 2016 in Brgy. Mapula, Paquibato District.