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CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews/29 September) — The National Democratic Front of the Philippines today announced it was ready to release the four personnel of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) in the custody of the New People’s Army.
“For humanitarian reasons in response to repeated appeals of the families of the four prisoners of war and as a confidence building measure to enhance the atmosphere for the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations, the NDFP is taking this decision,” Luis Jalandoni, chair of the NDFP peace panel said in a statement.
Jalandoni said the release is also meant as a confidence building measure to enhance the atmosphere for the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations.
But the statement said the release of the four captives can only come after issuance in writing of the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) and Suspension of Offensive Police Operations (SOPO).
“We require that the SOMO and SOPO allow the necessary, reasonable and flexible scale of time and area for the safe and orderly release of the captives at the initiative of their NPA custodians. It is the pertinent revolutionary organ in Mindanao that shall specify the specific area and time period for the SOMO and SOPO and other needed requirements to ensure the safe and orderly release of the four prisoners of war,” it added.
The rebels abducted Jail Inspectors Eric Llamasares and Murphy Todyog , Special Jail Officer 2 Rogelio Begontes and JO1 Rolando Bajoyo Jr. during a daring early morning “rescue” of their alleged comrade Dennis Rodenas last July 21 along the highway in Kitaotao.
Rodenas, alleged to be a bomb expert and a ranking NPA member, was being transported to the Davao Penal Colony from Ozamiz City to serve time for illegal possession of explosive components. (MindaNews)