AFP urges raps vs rebels in abduction of environmentalists

MANILA, Philippines - The New People’s Army (NPA) must be held accountable for the kidnapping of Environment department surveyors last week even if the victims have been freed, the military said on Tuesday.

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said the military is prepared to bring to justice the communist rebels behind the abduction.

“The AFP is ready to impose its forces shall it be needed, and exhaust all our efforts to put in the bars of justice, NPA members who are guilty of these crimes,” Zagala said in a statement.

“Following the release of the civilians yesterday (June 2), AFP troops vowed to intensify their operations against the NPA particularly in Davao area where they continue to participate in illegal activities such as small-scale mining, extortion and kidnapping,” he added.

On Friday, NPA members abducted four surveyors and one driver tasked by the Environment department to assess a government greening program in Barangay New Leyte in Maco town.

The four surveyors, identified by the rebels as Ken Wong, Chrisandro Favela, Tim Sabino, and Nico Lasaca, are said to be workers of Sky Eye UAV, a firm tapped to conduct the aerial survey. The driver, meanwhile, was identified as Jonas Loredo of the Maria Ave car rental service.

The NPA said the five were “arrested” for using drones and for supposedly intensifying “imperialist mining plunder and counter-revolutionary intelligence in Southern Mindanao.”

The rebels also demanded that Sky Eye stop its “surveillance and intelligence activities” in the area.

The kidnap victims were released Tuesday afternoon in Barangay Panangan-Sangab in Maco through the efforts of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte  

Zagala denied that the surveyors are involved in surveillance and counter-insurgency activities.

“Contrary to what the NPA is claiming, the civilians were there to bring services to the people by undertaking validation and survey on the government’s National Greening Program in the area,” Zagala said.

“They used an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for anti-logging aerial reconnaissance and not for intelligence surveillance,” he added.

Zagala said the NPA is being paranoid for believing that the civilians were using the drones for intelligence and for calling them “instruments of mass genocide and civilian destruction.” – Alexis Romero with reports from Anna Bajo and Venice Amoroso