THE New People's Army (NPA) freed two captive police officers around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, December 20, in Sitio Tiltilan, Barangay Mahanob, Gigaquit town, Surigao del Norte.
Chief Inspector Renel Serrano of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Caraga said Police Officer (PO) 2 Jhon Paul M. Doverte and PO2 Alfredo L. Degamo were turned over by the NPA Guerrilla Front 16 to Surigao del Norte Vice Governor Arturo Egay and Surigao City Vice Mayor Alfonso Casurra.
The two police officers are now under the custody of the PRO-Caraga headquarters in Butuan City. They will undergo medical checkup and psychological debriefing before they will be assessed when they can be able to return to their respective duties.
In a statement, Ka Oto, spokesperson of the Guerrilla Front 16, said the release is "a goodwill gesture to promote the peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and a response to the appeals of the families of the Prisoners of War (POWs)."
Ka Oto also said the military has agreed to the calls of third-party facilitators for the stand-down order to facilitate a safe and peaceful release.
However, Serrano said there was no stand-down directive for the police force in the Caraga region.
"There was no stand down. In fact, we received reports of an encounter between the state forces and the communist terrorists in nearby Gigaquit," he said.
Meanwhile, Serrano said they are set to file kidnapping against the guerrilla front members.
"We condemn the terroristic acts once again done by the NPA terrorists. kidnapping is a clear activity of all kinds of terrorists. We are now in the process of identifying the members of the said front," Serrano said.
Wearing police uniforms, the NPA rebels abducted Doverte and Degamon at a police outpost in Barangay Bad-as in Placer in November 13. The two belong to the Placer Municipal Police Station.
Iglesia Filipina Independiente's Supreme Bishop Rhee Timbang, acting as third-party facilitator, expressed gratitude to the local government officials and church people for pushing for the immediate release of the two policemen.
"A sad story ended happily. But a story that would have been avoided in the first place if the peace talk is continuing that would end an almost half a century of insurgency," Timbang said.