Reds abduct coop chairman, use as human shield in plantation raid
Camp Apolinario, Panacan, Davao City (15 January) -- New People's Army (NPA) terrorists abducted a cooperative chairman and used him as human shield in raiding a banana plantation in the village of Tagnanan in Mabini town in Compostela Valley province 6:30 PM Wednesday.
Efren Cagumbay, chairman of Mampising CARP Beneficiary Multipurpose Cooperative was abducted at his residence by 10 armed terrorists riding a white van without plate number and was taken to the village of Bongabong in the nearby town of Pantukan.
A few hours later at midnight, the armed men returned with Cagumbay as hostage and raided the cooperative's plantation carting away six shotguns and one caliber.45 pistol owned by Cowboy Security Agency.
The disarmed security guards say they cannot fire at the armed men because they are holding Cagumbay at gunpoint.
Maj. Gen. Carlos Holganza, head of the army's 10th Infantry Division slammed the abduction and attack on a civilian establishment by the NPA. "The use of an unarmed civilian as a human shield only cements the reputation of the NPA as a terrorist organization without respect to any law and moral standard. The means by which they employ deceptive, immoral and oppressive methods is in line with their anti-people and anti-progress policy," Holganza said.
Troops are now pursuing the perpetrators. (10th ID) [top]