Negotiations for release of DENR exec underway

BUTUAN CITY— Negotiations for the release of the Regional Administrative Officer of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), who was kidnapped by six unidentified armed men believed to be members of the Tribal Bongkatol Liberation Army on Saturday evening, is still ongoing, police said yesterday.

Senior Superintendent Edgar Wasawas Agustin, deputy regional police director for operations in Caraga Region, said that the negotiation was initiated by authorities and close relatives of the kidnap victim, identified as Christopher Cuizon, 56.

According to the police report, the victim called his wife at 8:21 p.m. on Saturday and assured her not to worry because he was with a certain group discussing "economics."

Verification of the cellphone number used as it appeared in the phone book of Forrester Greg Bayotas, team leader of Nasipit DENR station, showed that it was registered under the name of Ernesto Burdeos, a tribal leader residing in Hinundayan, Camagong, Nasipit, Agusan del Norte.

The report added that the abduction was confirmed to be the handiwork of the Bongkatol Army, which reportedly claimed that they were willing to send an emissary to negotiate for Cuizon’s release.

Immediately, the police regional office headed by Chief Superintendent Alberto Rama Olario dispatched intelligence operatives to confirm the veracity of the report and alerted the 14th Regional Mobile Police Group and Task Force Racer for possible rescue operations.

Cuizon was abducted at his home near the national highway in Barangay Sacol, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte at around 7:00 p.m. last Saturday.

The lumads have been requesting the government to allow them to practice "customary farming" in their ancestral domain claims. They also allegedly exceeded the number of allowed trees to be cut in their ancestral domain.

The DENR has been studying their request.

Earlier the other day, three abducted DENR personnel in Surigao del Sur were released. Police identifed the three DENR personnel as Samuel Annobal, Surigao del Sur Development Corp. (SUDECOR) reforestation manager; Alain Cabanilla and Teodoro Josoy, both Community Environment and natural Resources Officer (CENRO).