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Monday, April 09, 2007
Rebels ransack penal farm, seize 100 guns
By Stella A. Estremera and Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- At least 30 members of the New People's Army (NPA), clad in military uniforms, swooped down on the sleeping Davao Prison and Penal Farm, disarmed jail guards, and ransacked the prison armory just after midnight Sunday.
The suspected communist rebels disarmed the gatehouse guards and roving guard of the Tagum Agricultural Development Corporation (Tadeco) just across the penal farm (formerly called Davao Penal Colony or Dapecol) entrance and raided the armory some half a kilometer inside the complex.
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The prison workers' community within the penal farm woke up for their Easter Sunday "salubong" to be met by the news of a raid.
"It took mga (about) 15 to 20 minutes, talagang na-plano nila yun (it was well planned)," Police Regional Director Andres Caro told reporters, waiting by the main gate Sunday morning.
Not a single gun was fired.
The armory is next to the prison colony's administration building, some 200 meters north of the maximum security prison compound, which is surrounded by guard watchtowers. The watchtower guards on duty also did not notice anything amiss until after the rebels have long gone.
Caro said the incident occurred at around 1:30 a.m.
Just before that, some two kilometers north of Dapecol estate at Libertad Crossing, an explosion was heard by the roadside. Whatever exploded caused a crater three feet deep and three feet in diameter on the road shoulder.
Some 500 meters farther, a used tire was burned. It couldn't be ascertained how long after the explosion the rebels arrived near the prison farm in five rented vans.
Caro believes the explosion was intended to make it appear that there was a legitimate military operation going on so that the presence of a big number of soldiers at past midnight would not appear suspicious.
The rebels, in full military uniform, approached the guardhouse and requested assistance from the gate guard identified as Police Officer 1 Alfredo Sambalod and Senior Guard 1 Reynaldo Miralles.
They even asked Sambalod about Assistant Penal Superintendent Gerardo Padilla, making Sambalod believe that they were real soldiers. But as Sambalod approached, the men poked their guns at him, took his gun, and ordered him to open the gate.
A roving guard of Tadeco, who happened to be at the guardhouse just across the road from the Dapecol's main gate, was also disarmed of his M16 armalite rifle.
Inside the penal farm, the rebels disarmed the guard at the armory identified as Senior Guard 1 Ernesto Romeo and gathered the "vintage but still serviceable" guns inside.
Aside from the M16 and M14 rifles and .9mm pistol taken from the guards, the rebels carted off 45 pieces of Carbines, three M16 rifles, five .38 caliber revolvers, 46 shotguns, five handcuffs, 1,000 rounds of M16 ammunition, 1,000 rounds of Carbine, 500 rounds of .38 mm ammunition, and 586 rounds of shotgun ammunition.
Caro said they have consistently appraised penal colony authorities of threats to security after the Kidapawan City jailbreak, but added that Dapecol is not under their direct supervision but of the Bureau of Corrections of the Department of Justice.
"Hindi kami nagkulang ng paalala sa kanila (We were not remiss in reminding them)," he said. He added that they have been receiving intelligence reports of rebel movements in the vicinity, particularly in the mountains fringing Davao del Norte -- the rebel-infested Paquibato district in Davao City.
"Meron ngang na-monitor na bumili ng mga uniporme, 28 pieces, at saka combat boots (There were people who were monitored to have bought uniforms, 28 pieces, and combat boots)," Caro added. "Malamang dito na ginamit yun (They were possibly used here)."
The rebels took with them the three guards as they fled on board the same vans in Barangay Kasilak, Panabo City. The van drivers have already surrendered to the police in Tagum and Panabo Cities.
According to the van drivers, they were contracted separately in Tagum and in Panabo and were made to believe they were needed as service vehicles for a wedding.
They proceeded as directed to Barangay Manay in Panabo City, where they were commandeered.
The rebels were said led by rebel leader Leoncio Pitao, alias Ka Parago. They were believed to have fled to Malabog in Paquibato district, Davao City.
Army Major Randolph Cabangbang, spokesman of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command, said they received "prior intelligence report that the NPAs will be stepping up their resource-generating activities, such as extortion, force taxation, kidnap-for-ransom, permit-to-campaign fees and disarming."
"But we do not know their exact target. The firearms are intended to be sold. They (NPA) need financial resources to support their political organizations," Cabangbang said.
Task Force Raptor commander Gen. Antonio Amodia and Lt. Col. Alex Ambal of the Army's 73rd Infantry Battalion went to Dapecol to do their own investigation.
The media, visitors of prisoners, and even visitors of employees were not allowed to enter the prison premises Sunday, although a prison insider said an ABS-CBN team was allowed to enter after lunch after it got permission from top officials.
Almost a hundred visitors of the detainees who came from all over, one even coming from Cagayan de Oro City, to celebrate the Easter Sunday with their jailed kin were stranded outside the gate with just an old mango tree as a shade and nowhere to buy anything, even candy.
Gloria Macajig of Davao City brought a lot of food intending to celebrate her birthday with a detained kin. She ended up sharing the food with the reporters milling by the road.
Pat Ravena, also of Davao City, was grumbling about the silence of prison authorities who could not even give them updates on what happened, saying they cannot help but be worried about the prisoners.
Caro later said no one was harmed and that the rebels only went for the guns.
Prison Superintendent Catalino Malinao refused to give details of the raid, saying the police are still investigating the incident.
"Under investigation pa po kaya hindi pa ako (I cannot yet) maka-divulge. Ayaw ko namang ma (I don't want to) pre-empt ang kanilang (their) investigation," he said when contacted through his mobile phone.
He also refused to say how many jail guards were on duty at that time. All he can give was an estimate of the jail population, which he placed at 4,000-plus and that the incident happened quite a distance away from where the prisoners are locked in.
"From minimum to maximum security meron tayo rito," he said. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila.
(April 9, 2007 issue)
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