NPA leader's daughter abducted in Davao City

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Armed men abducted a daughter of Leoncio Pitao, alias Commander Parago, leader of the Pulang Bagani Command of the New People’s Army, here Wednesday night.

Senior Superintendent Ramon Apolinario, city police chief, confirmed reports that Rebelyn Pitao, 21, was snatched in Sitio Bago Aplaya, Barangay Talomo.

Reports said the young Pitao was seized from a tricycle she was riding in and dragged into a white van.

The tricycle driver informed Pitao’s mother about the incident and she, in turn, sought police help.

The young Pitao recently passed the teachers’ licensure examination and was just hired to teach at the St. Peter’s School in Toril district.

“We are still looking into the case,” Apolinario said.

Army Maj. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, chief of the Army’s 10th Infantry Division, said he promptly directed his units to probe the abduction upon learning about it.

If requested, Mapagu said they would assist law enforcement agencies in locating Pitao’s daughter.

However, Bayan Muna-Southern Mindanao chairman and former congressman Joel Virador blamed the military for the kidnapping.

“We suspect that the Military Intelligence Group did the kidnapping of Pitao’s daughter. It only shows how desperate the Armed Forces is in finishing the revolutionary movement in 2010,” he said.

Virador alleged that the military is pressuring Pitao to surrender by going after his family.

“Aside from taking his daughter, they also killed his brother last year in Tagum City,” he added.

Virador said they are certain that Pitao’s daughter is in military custody.

“The victim is not rich and so she could not be taken for ransom and the more not for any love angle because she does not have any boyfriend. The only one who has the motive is the military,” he said.

But Maj. Medel Aguilar, former chief of the 5th Civilian Relations Group, denied this, saying the military does not harm unarmed civilians.

Aguilar said the allegations are merely part of the militant groups’ propaganda.