By Gilbert P. Felongco, Correspondent
Manila: Communist insurgents on Thursday released a mayoralty
candidate in Davao Oriental after holding him for several hours for
failing to pay their ‘permit to campaign’ fee.
Ronie Sango Osnan, a businessman who is running for mayor of Banganga town in the southern Philippines, was released unharmed 31 hours after he was ‘invited’ by the New Peoples Army (NPA) Front 15, Senior Superintendent Jose Carumba, director of the Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office was quoted as saying.
Osnan was with a group of political supporters in the village of Campawan when a long-time acquaintance, who turned out to be a member of the NPA, invited him for a dialogue.
Osnan left at 1pm on Wednesday and was released at 8pm on Thursday.
Ronie Sango Osnan, a businessman who is running for mayor of Banganga town in the southern Philippines, was released unharmed 31 hours after he was ‘invited’ by the New Peoples Army (NPA) Front 15, Senior Superintendent Jose Carumba, director of the Davao Oriental Provincial Police Office was quoted as saying.
Osnan was with a group of political supporters in the village of Campawan when a long-time acquaintance, who turned out to be a member of the NPA, invited him for a dialogue.
Osnan left at 1pm on Wednesday and was released at 8pm on Thursday.
The Philippines is due
to hold its mid-term elections on May 13 and the NPA traditionally
takes advantage of the voting period to raise funds for its activities.
The abduction and
Osnan’s subsequent release came amid news that five NPA members were
intercepted by government soldiers in the village of Albalate in
Catbalogan, Samar, while they were collecting funds from politicians.
Two NPA insurgents were killed in a 15-minute encounter. The troops recovered two assault rifles and a grenade.
Government forces foiled an extortion attempt by NPA rebels on May 1 in Sorsogon Province, apprehending two rebels and recovering high-powered firearms, explosives and campaign paraphernalia.
Last April 26, government troops from the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion captured 11 members of NPA and recovered 13 high-powered firearms and explosives in an operation conducted in Sitio Mahangin and Sitio Sapang Linao of Kabayunan village in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
Aside from politicians, plantations, mining concessions and other businesses in Mindanao have been targeted by the NPA in recent months for refusing to pay ‘revolutionary taxes’.
In 2012, the NPA reportedly collected 25,005,000 pesos (Dh2,223,880) through extortion. In 2011, the collected at least 300 million.
Two NPA insurgents were killed in a 15-minute encounter. The troops recovered two assault rifles and a grenade.
Government forces foiled an extortion attempt by NPA rebels on May 1 in Sorsogon Province, apprehending two rebels and recovering high-powered firearms, explosives and campaign paraphernalia.
Last April 26, government troops from the Army’s 56th Infantry Battalion captured 11 members of NPA and recovered 13 high-powered firearms and explosives in an operation conducted in Sitio Mahangin and Sitio Sapang Linao of Kabayunan village in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan.
Aside from politicians, plantations, mining concessions and other businesses in Mindanao have been targeted by the NPA in recent months for refusing to pay ‘revolutionary taxes’.
In 2012, the NPA reportedly collected 25,005,000 pesos (Dh2,223,880) through extortion. In 2011, the collected at least 300 million.
