Reds Care

Addressing the menace of redscare, redbaiting and red herrings

Communist rebels say they're holding PA officer as prisoner of war
05/07 10:02:15 PM

MANILA (AP) - Communist guerrillas said Monday they are holding a recently captured army officer as a prisoner of war and are investigating him for possible human rights violations while fighting insurgents.

A New People's Army command operating in the southern Mindanao region identified the captive as Staff Sgt. Alberto Baludoya, a commander of an army outpost in Cateel town in southern Davao Oriental province.

Baludoya has been involved in counterinsurgency operations for 17 years, they said.

"No harm shall befall POW SSgt. Baludoya as the New People's Army has shown in numerous prisoners of war cases that it upholds its policy of humane and lenient treatment of prisoners of war," rebel spokesman Roel Agustin II said in a statement.

The rebels did not say when or how they captured Baludoya. A special investigating body was set up to determine any "possible war crimes and other serious violations of human rights" that Baludoya may have committed in his long involvement in counterinsurgency operations, the rebels said.

There was no immediate military reaction to the rebel statement.

posted by: tagabundok at 01:15 | link | comments (1) |