CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The National Democratic Front asked the military on Monday to suspend operations over 10 days in at least 74 villages in Bukidnon starting March 27 so it can release a detained policeman.
Police Officer 2 Anthony Natividad, who is assigned to the Kalilangan municipal police in Bukidnon, was on his way to the regional police headquarters for a medical examination when he was taken by New People’s Army rebels in Talakag town.
Cesar Renerio, spokesperson of the NDF in North and Central Mindanao, said they are willing to release Natividad on condition that the army and police order their forces to stand down in the towns of Talakag, Lantapan, Baungon, Pangantucan and Kalilangan and the cities of Malaybalay and Valencia.
Renerio said the NDF through the NPA will declare its own temporary cessation of hostilities once law enforcers will agree to the condition.
The group has assured that Natividad is in good condition as it finds no reason to detain him further.
“After a thorough investigation and background check on his personal life and as a police officer, we found out that he committed no crime against the people and we see no reason to keep him,” Renerio said.
The communist rebels have also asked the local third-party facilitators, the local crisis committee of Bukidnon, as well as army officials and PNP regional and provincial leaderships.
The military, for its part, will wait for instructions from President Rodrigo Duterte through the Department of National Defense before it acts on the NDF’s request, said Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division.
Martinez said if there are moves from the third-party facilitators and the local crisis committee to arrange for Natividad’s release, then the Armed Forces of the Philippines will welcome it.
Meanwhile, Martinez said rescue operations for Natividad conducted by government troopers is ongoing as of March 27, the supposed start of the 10-day suspension of military and police operations.