Sorsogon locale escapes death sentence from NPA captors

By Ronron
March 23, 2007

A 42-year-old locale of Sorsogon province escaped death from the hands of the New People’s Army (NPA) after he successfully ran away from the rebel’s camp last Tuesday night.

Jesus Lasala of Barangay Lajong, Juban town, recounted yesterday (Friday) to reporters in Camp Aguinaldo his ordeal when he was presented by military officials to prove that the NPA’s Kangaroo Court still exists these days.

According to Lasala, he was abducted by three suspected NPA members last Monday evening from his residence in Sitio Jagusara in the same village. He claimed that he was reported to the NPA by a sibling of his 28-year-old wife, Rosalina, with whom he had a fight over his piece of land.

From his house, he was brought to an NPA camp in Sitio Belwang in the same village, about three kilometers away from his residence.

Lasala claimed to have seen some 18 rebels at said camp, led by a certain Ka Roy or Raul.

Upon arrival there, Lasala said he met two other captives whom he identified as Bunso and Arnol. All three of them, he said, were handcuffed, blindfolded, and tied to a bed.

He then learned from the two that earlier in the day, a certain Marlon, another captive, was executed by their captors. On the following day, March 19, Bunso suffered the same fate, and Arnol on the 20th, he said.

For fear that he was going to be killed next on the 21st, Lasala said he forced his way out of the camp on the night of March 20.

He said he cut the rope tied to his legs using glass sharks. He then ran away at around 10 pm while his captors were sound asleep.

Lasala said he went directly to the 2nd Infantry Battalion camp of the Philippine Army in Barangay Ranggas, same town, where he was found by military men at around 8 am of March 21.

Immediately, elements of the 2IB went to the NPA camp where they exchanged fires with some 10 suspected rebels. One of the rebels, a certain Allan Villare of Barangay Calateo, also in Juban, was killed in said encounter. Recovered from him was an M16 rifle.

Lasala said that while in captivity, he was only fed once and was not even given water to drink. He said he was also hit by the rebels using their guns.

He claimed to have overheard also his captors talk about allowing political candidates for the upcoming elections to enter their territory only when “they agree on the right price.”

His claim was supported by 2nd IB commander Lt. Col. Benigno Antonio II who, in the same press conference, said that reports reaching his office indicate that permit-to-campaign fees being collected by the local NPA range from P50,000 for municipal candidates to P500,000 for provincial and congressional aspirants.

“This is part of their extortion activities in those barangays,” Antonio said.

Lasala said that after his experience, he now wishes to be a member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) so he could fight back the NPA. Lasala works as a bus conductor prior to his abduction.

“I will fight them. I will fight to kill if that is what they want,” he said in Filipino.

Upon his return, Lasala and his family were immediately placed under the custody of the 2nd IB for their security./DMS