ARMY Corporal Dominador Alegre, the detachment commander who was abducted by rebels in Monkayo, Compostela Valley on Monday, was sighted alive in the company of his abductors.

Captain Emmanuel Garcia, chief of the division of public affairs of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said residents sighted Alegre recently.

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He did not divulge the area where the soldier was seen though as this would jeopardize their rescue operation on Alegre.

Garcia also clarified reports regarding Alegre's culpability over the incident considering that he was then the detachment commander of the patrol base in Barangay Casoon when the New People's Army (NPA) rebels attacked it.

He said that based on further investigation, Alegre was never outside the patrol base during the incident.

Garcia said the detachment commander was inside the camp when the rebels barged in and ransacked the army.

What happened was there were several Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members who went out of the camp to visit their dead relatives in the cemetery. But the Cafgus were accosted by the rebels and were taken back to the patrol base.

"Ginawang human shields yung mga Cafgus kaya walang nagawa pa rin yung iba kundi papasukin yung mga rebelde. Tapos nung nasa loob na ng patrol base ang mga rebelde saka nila hinostage si Alegre," Garcia said.

Major General Reynaldo Mapagu, chief of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, said Wednesday Alegre was outside the patrol base where he was abducted by the rebels and had even ordered his men to open the gate so that the rebels who were posing as Special Forces personnel could enter.

Mapagu said with his actuations, Alegre showed cowardice and could face court martial for it.

Garcia said facing court martial is but standard operating procedure for any military personnel who get abducted by the enemies. He said that this is where the soldier clears his name.

As to Alegre, Garcia said the detachment commander still had committed some lapses as only 10 personnel were inside the camp at the time of the rebel raid.

It was learned that the patrol base has more than 20 personnel but Cpl. Alegre allowed most of his men to leave the camp despite the fact that they are on heightened alert.

"Sobrang bait daw kasi nitong si Cpl. Alegre eh kaya he allowed the Cafgus to leave the camp and visit their dead," Chief Garcia said.

The military, meanwhile, reminded the New People's Army that abduction is a crime and only groups and individuals with diabolic intent employ it.

"It is an irony that such method is routinely done by an organization pretending to be fighting for the rights of the masses but in truth is making the people suffer," the 10th ID said in a statement.

"They have habitually employed their craft in deceiving our people in every possible way. Taking advantage of the fact that soldiers are welcome in barangays, these terrorists put on the uniforms of soldiers they claim to abhor; and it is in using the good image of the soldiers that they pull-off their crimes." (BOT)