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Monday, February 06, 2006
Kidnap charges filed against rebel leader
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- Criminal charges were filed against New People's Army leader Leonardo Pitao, alias Kumander Parago, for the abduction of four tribesmen in Paquibato district on January 25.
One of those kidnapped escaped while the three remain in rebel custody.
Task Force Davao chief Eduardo del Rosario said they already forwarded the affidavit of complaint against Parago to the Commission on Human Rights and the City Prosecutor's Office.
Del Rosario said the prosecutors would determine the appropriate charges to be filed against Parago and his men for the abduction of the four tribesmen.
The four were identified as Rudy Adang, a barangay councilman and a militiaman; Tony Lige and Inggo Lintanod, both farmers; and Berino Mambuo, a barangay official of Paquibato district.
Mambuo recalled how Parago and seven of his fully armed men stopped the passenger jeep he was riding in at around 4 p.m. of January 25.
He said the rebels also stopped two other tribesmen, Lige and Lintanod, who happened to pass by the area. The two are of the Ata Manobo tribe.
A few minutes after, the rebels also stopped a motorcycle driven by Salapawan barangay chief Doming Bucayla with Adang as passenger.
Adang, also a tribesman, was ordered to alight from the vehicle while Bucayla, a Bisaya, was told to go home.
Mambuo said two hours after they were abducted, Parago started tying the hands of Adang.
Sensing that Parago would surely kill them, Mambuo decided to stake his life and limb and jumped off a deep ravine.
He sustained several cuts from the fall and walked for four hours before reaching his house.
Nothing is known of the condition of the three other hostages in Parago's hands.
Mambuo said there were rumors going around that the rebels already executed the three hostages.
But Del Rosario believes the hostages are still alive because their bodies have not been recovered until now.
Parago in a statement said the three are actually militiamen and not plain farmers as the military claimed. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
(February 6, 2006 issue)
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