Military denies abducting 3 farmers

CATARMAN, NORTHERN SAMAR — Brigadier General Oscar Lacurom, commander of the Philippine Army 803rd Infantry Brigade, yesterday dismissed reports of militant groups that soldiers of the 20th Infantry Battalion, based in Catubig town of Northern Samar, abducted three peasant leaders, due to lack of arrest warrants.

Lacurom said the three — Richard Avino, Teny Gerbon, and Arnel Aquino — voluntarily surrendered to the military in response to the government’s call to rejoin the mainstream society and avail themselves of the Comprehensive Social Integration Program.

Documents from the militant groups Sinirangan Bisayas and Katungod Northern Samar however showed that the peasant leaders were allegedly abducted by the soldiers from their respective houses at sitio Kanunghan in Barangay Osmeña at Palapag, Northern Samar, and were believed to be detained at the 20th IB detachment.

"They deserve due process of the law and cannot be arrested and held custody in the absence of arrest warrants, and Katungod Northern Samar calls for their immediate release" said the militant group.

The three peasant leaders were suspected to be members of the New People’s Army, and Lacurom clarified to The Philippine STAR and The FREEMAN PA that they were not actually abducted but had surrendered to the military, and yielded their .45-caliber guns with magazines.

Lacurom also said the three, including a female rebel, are now in good condition, while the CSIP benefits they are about to receive are being processed.

"These militant groups are just making a scenario to discredit the government, while they are already desperate. But I am happy as well with this development that these NPA rebels have finally decided to come back to the mainstream society and support the programs of the government instead," said the military official.

Under the CSIP, the surrenderers will be receiving between P50,000 and P70,000, covering livelihood and financial assistance, in exchange of the firearms they also surrendered.

Respectively under the Social Integration Program which will cover their livelihood assistance, financial assistance and assistance in exchange of the firearms they have surrendered.