Senior Superintendent Alex Paul Monteagudo, provincial police director, said a band of 15 NPA guerrillas flagged down the passenger jeepney in Barangay Kurba in Muñoz, disarmed the two security escorts and took with them their comrade, Juanito Flores, alias Ka Jack, and his fellow detainee Alberto Gallardo.
Flores is a murder accused, while Gallardo faces robbery charges.
The two were on the way to a hearing in nearby Guimba town when the rebels snatched them.
Superintendent Alejandro Lapinid, Central Luzon police director, has ordered an investigation into the incident, including possible conspiracy between the rebels and the security escorts who reportedly did not coordinate their mission with the Guimba regional trial court and took a passenger jeep instead of a prison van. — Manny Galvez, Ric Sapnu