It said New People's Army rebels on Tuesday released
Sergeant Bienvenido Arguelles, who was captured on June 19 in Monkayo town in
Compostela Valley province. The rebels earlier freed a government militia Juve
Latiban, who was seized together with Arguelles at a checkpoint in the village
of Upper Ulip.
The rebels said they freed the prisoner due to
humanitarian considerations.
"The decision to release prisoner of war Arguelles
is based on humanitarian considerations. It is in compliance with the
revolutionary movement's long-standing policy of lenient treatment of POWs and
its serious adherence to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines'
Declaration of Undertaking to Apply the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and Protocol
2 of 1977. By releasing him and other POWs on this ground, the revolutionary
movement is giving chance for human rights and the international humanitarian
law to be respected at all times," said Rigoberto Sanchez, a rebel
spokesman.
He said the arrest of Arguelles should serve as a warning
to all members of the military and the police who commit incursions into
guerilla bases especially those who conduct intelligence operations against the
NPA and its supporters.
"It should also serve as warning to those who serve
as protectors of large-scale, environmentally destructive and exploitative
foreign and local firms under the pretext of Investment Defense Force and peace
and development projects, especially that the Diwalwal mining area in Monkayo
town is up for total sell-out," Sanchez said, referring to the large-scale
mining activities in Mount Diwalwal in Monkayo town.
Police said kidnappers also released unharmed Nuraldin
Yusoph, 22, on Monday in Misamis Oriental province after a month in captivity.
Yusoph, son of Commissioner Elias Yusoph, was seized on
June 20 outside a mosque in Marawi City. His abductors originally demanded that
the Commission on Elections annul the results of the recent polls in at least
four towns - Malabang, Taraka, Pikong and Masiu - in Lanao del Sur in exchange
for the safe release of the hostage, but later asked P25 million for his
freedom.
Police said no ransom was paid for Yusoph's release.
Last week, security forces killed the leader of Yusoph's
kidnappers, Dimaporo Dimasacal alias Commander Delta. Officials said soldiers
were pursuing the gang when they caught up with them in the village of Aleem
Rayah Karamian in Lanao del Sur's Masiu town and killed its leader.
Dimasacal was also tagged as behind the ambush last week
of a group of soldiers in Gata village in Poona Bayabao town, also in Lanao del
Sur, killing an infantryman and a civilian.
In another development, authorities were holding a letter
sent by a kidnapped Japanese man, 63-year old Hiroshima native.
Police said Amer Katayama Mamaito, whose real name is
Toshio Ito, was seized by 10 gunmen on July 16 on a fishing village on the
remote island of Pangutaran in Sulu archipelago.
His passport, issued on January 31, 2000 at the Japanese
embassy in Manila, was recovered on the island, but no group has claimed
responsibility for the kidnapping, although authorities were suspecting Abu
Sayyaf militants with links to Jemaah Islamiya could be behind it.
