IN RESPONSE to the accusation that a communist rebel was abducted by the soldiers, a military official said the missing member may have been held by the New People’s Army (NPA) for allegedly failing to remit the extortion money that he collected.
“There are people [saying] that indeed Imelda Hayahay is an extortion money collector of NPA and she failed to remit,” Division Public Affairs Office (DPAO) chief Captain Jerry Lamosao said.
He belied the claims of militant leaders that the troops of the 71st Infantry Battalion (IB) were behind the abduction.
Contrary to their claims that there were military vehicle and soldiers who went to Hayahay’s residence in Barangay Pindasan in Mabini, Compostela Valley on October 15, he said that based on the statement of the Purok leader in the area, there were no state forces in the area on that day.
“Ang kalihukan kung na-involved ka, gitagaan kag mission as collector, courier, or tiga hatag og information bahin sa location sa tropa nga nag patrol or nag operate and you failed to comply, ang mahitabo its either ipatawag ka or muagi ka sa ilang ginatawag ug investigation kay ga imbestiga pod sila (In the revolutionary movement, if you failed to accomplish the mission, you will be called or subjected to investigation),” Lamosao said.
He added, “With that number who knows Imelda Hayahay, we cannot discount the possibility na mismong mga NPA nga nangabilin pa karon ang gagunit sa Imelda Hayahay (that Hayahay is under the custody of NPA).”
This is not the first time that they were accused by progressive groups of kidnapping. He said that earlier this year, the 71st IB was also accused of kidnapping a minor and burning him but he belied this.
They attempted to conduct an investigation on the claims, however, the information provided cannot be ascertained.
“Dili siya ma verify sa area kay non-existent ang report wala sa lugar nga na-mention. These are issue nga gibutang-butangan lang to advance their cause (The reports cannot be verified because these were non-existent. The issues were just invented to advance their cause),” he said.