Armed men barge into lawmaker’s house, seize volunteer

At least six armed men barged into the residence of opposition Laguna Rep. Benjamin Agarao in Barangay Patimbao in Sta. Cruz, Laguna and abducted one of his volunteers on Tuesday morning.

However, the volunteer, Ramon Mangaya Jr., of Barangay Mabato-asupre in Pangil town, was later released after his abductors questioned him about where in Agarao’s house the congressman sleeps, who are his frequent companions whenever he travels to Metro Manila, and whether he carries guns and what type and caliber.

The neophyte congressman, a member of the Liberal Party, was not in his Sta. Cruz residence when the incident happened. He was in a Quezon City house that he has been renting since two years ago when he won over Erwin Maceda, son of former Sen. Ernesto Maceda, as representative of Laguna’s fourth district.

Agarao told reporters covering the House yesterday that he knows of no enemies in his district and his province who would harm him and his family.

He expressed suspicion that the administration is harassing him for supporting this year’s and last year’s impeachment proceedings against President Arroyo.

"Di na nga nirerelisan ng pondo ng Malacañang ang aming mga distrito, hina-harass pa kami (Malacañang has not been releasing funds to our districts, they are even harassing us)," he said.

According to Mangaya, who gave a sworn statement to the Sta. Cruz police, at least six men in a jeep and a pick-up barged into Agarao’s residential compound at about 3 a.m. Tuesday.

He said he was having coffee in a makeshift gazebo at the time. He said the men immediately tied his hands behind his back, blindfolded him and led him to one of the vehicles.

He said the men did not disturb the caretaker of the Agarao residence and the congressman’s two young children who were still sleeping inside the house at the time.

He narrated that his abductors drove him around while asking him about Aragao. He said at one point during the questioning, one man pointed a gun to his head.

He said he sensed that some of his abductors carried long firearms.

After a while, Mangaya said the men dropped him off near the Agarao residence.

He added that he quickly untied himself and removed his blindfold and saw that the pick-up was colored blue.

Commenting on what happened at Agarao’s residence, Majority Floor Leader Prospero Nograles said the House is prepared to extend all possible assistance to the Laguna congressman if he requests for it.

"He has not told us about it. If he feels that he and his family are in danger, he should say so and we will provide him the necessary assistance," he said.

The Liberal Party, in a statement, condemned the incident which it described as a "clandestine and underhanded harassment of the political opposition."

Sen. Franklin Drilon, LP president, said the incident happened three weeks after Agarao decided to officially join the ranks of the opposition when he took his oath as an LP member.

"I condemn in the strongest possible terms this apparent political harassment of Congressman Agarao, the latest prize recruit of the Liberal Party," he said.

Drilon challenged Philippine National Police chief Director General Oscar Calderon to identify and punish the "raiders" on Agarao’s residence.