Rescue on for abducted PAF major

FLORIDABLANCA, Pampanga — Two Army battalions and the Air Force’s Special Operations Wing (SPOW) are scouring the mountains near the Basa Air Base here to rescue an Air Force major who was abducted by New People’s Army (NPA) rebels last Saturday.

Inspector Samuel Sevilla, Floridablanca police chief, quoted witnesses as saying that the hands of Air Force Maj. Neptune Eliquin, civic-military officer of the Air Force’s 355th Engineering Wing, were tied when the rebels brought him to the mountains of Barangay Mawakat.

Eliquin, accompanied by three civilians, was driving a jeep when the armed guerrillas, three of them women, flagged him down in Sitio Uno Malinta, Sevilla said.

One of Eliquin’s companions identified himself as a teacher and told the rebels that they were on their way to deliver used clothes and food supplies to Aetas living in the mountains.

The armed men had already allowed the group to proceed when one of them shouted that he recognized Eliquin, Sevilla said.

Upon hearing this, Eliquin tried to speed away, but the rebels fired at his vehicle, forcing him to stop. The guerrillas held Eliquin but released his three companions identified as Christopher Pata, Jayson Tapia and Jonel Tapia.

Brig. Gen. Gilbert Llanto, commander of the 600th Air Base Wing based at the Clark special economic zone, said the SPOW and the Army’s 24th and 69th Infantry Battalions have joined forces to rescue Eliquin.

A large portion of the area they are scouring is within the jurisdiction of the 24th IB led by Col. Emil Hulipas, who said the inclement weather has hampered the rescue operation.

Sevilla cited reports that Eliquin’s abductors were led by Larry Lozano, alias Ka Turi, of the NPA’s Lino Blas Command, and Eduardo Ebuque, alias Ka Edu, of the Palermo Ortanez Command. — With Ric Sapnu