By Roy Ramos
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines (AA) — Philippines’ communist rebels on Monday released five police officers captured during an attack on a militia outpost in southern Mindanao.
The release of the captives — including a police station chief — coincided with the 43rd founding anniversary of the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
On Sunday, the New People’s Army (NPA), CPP’s armed wing, sent email video clips to media outlets in which the five police officers said that they were safe and being treated well.
The freed lawmen were captured April 16 while responding to an attack launched by NPA rebels on an army-supervised militia unit.
In a statement, Rubi del Mundo, NDF spokesperson, said it has issued release orders for the prisoners.
“The entire revolutionary movement in Southern Mindanao and the whole of the Philippines congratulate the 1st Pulang Bagani Battalion in their safe custody of the five POWs in the face of the so-called rescue operations of AFP [Armed Forces of the Philippines] troops in Paquibato, Davao City.”
Paquibato district is a suburb of Davao City in the Philippines’ south.
The NDF claimed the NPA had 11 other POWs in custody around Mindanao.
“The celebration of 43rd founding anniversary of the NDF is also made more meaningful by the brave and sustained militant actions of the masses in the region and in Mindanao,” it added
Peace talks between the NDF and the government – which have been on-and-off for 27 years — collapsed in early 2013 due to rebel demands that detained comrades be freed.
In Dec. 2014, the insurgency observed a Christmas/New Year truce, which was repeated in January 2015 during Pope Francis’ visit to the country.
Since March 1969, the NPA has been waging one of Asia’s longest running insurgencies, mainly in the poorest regions of the Philippines.
According to government figures, the conflict has claimed around 40,000 lives, including more than 3,000 in the last eight years alone.
Philippine authorities have tagged the rebels as notorious extortionists and blamed them for harassing banana, pineapple and rubber plantations, as well as poultry farms and mining outfits.
