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May 23, 2012
Manila, Philippines
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Released POWs Speak Well of Erstwhile Captors

Published on March 28, 2009

P/Insp. Rex Cuntapay and PO1 Marvin Agasen both used to view the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA) in a bad light. Captured last Jan. 3 together with PO1 Alberto Umali after their unit’s encounter with guerrillas belonging to the NPA’s Narciso Antazo Aramil Command (NAAC), which operates in Rizal (a province southeast of Manila), they were held as prisoners of war (POWs) for almost three months. They were released on March 27, very near the place where they were captured. The three policemen had only kind words to say about their former custodians.

BY ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO
Bulatlat

P/Insp. Rex Cuntapay and PO1 Marvin Agasen both used to view the communist-led New People’s Army (NPA) in a bad light.

Captured last Jan. 3 together with PO1 Alberto Umali after their unit’s encounter with guerrillas belonging to the NPA’s Narciso Antazo Aramil Command (NAAC), which operates in Rizal (a province southeast of Manila), they were held as prisoners of war (POWs) for almost three months. They were released on March 27, very near the place where they were captured.

“Wala silang masamang record” (They have no bad record), Ka Ambrosio, leader of the custodial team that held them, said of the three policemen.

Moments before their release, the three policemen were in a cheerful mood, exchanging jokes with the NPA guerrillas. One guerrilla joked that maybe one or two of the policemen would like to stay with the NPA – to which one of the policemen replied that maybe some of the guerrillas would like to join them on their way back to the town center.

The air, which was intermittently cool and very hot that day, was subsequently filled with boisterous laughter.


The POWs sign their release papers. (Photo by ALEXANDER MARTIN REMOLLINO)

Cuntapay, Umali, and Agasen had only kind words to say about their former custodians.

“Ang normal na kaisipan natin noon, pag nahuli ka, tutuklapan ka ng mukha” (I used to think of them as people who, if they capture you, would skin your face), Cuntapay said in an interview when asked how he thought of the NPA before being taken as a POW. “Hindi pala, sumusunod pala sila sa batas ng digmaan” (But no, it turned out that they follow the laws of war.)

Pages: 1 2

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4 Responses to “Released POWs Speak Well of Erstwhile Captors”

  1. zaibatsu1941 Says:

    ha ha pano ba yan tama kau jan nasunod ang mga Hukbo ng Mamamayan s batas ng Digmaan.kabaliktaran sa ginagawa ng mga mersenaryong kaaway ng mamamayan na Hukbo ng mga mapagsamantala ang AFP,palibhasa tradisyon na nila yan sa gabay ng amo nilang Imperyalista,pro ang Hukbo ng Mamamayan hindi nila katulad.

    Kya lng yung Video ng Opensiba sana mga kasama wag nyo na ipost sa http://www.youtube.com kasi iba ang dating eh, ako kaisa nyo s mga ipinaglalaban nyo pro nakakakilabot ang makatunghay ng ganun, Oo unawa ko civil war ito,usapin ito ng pangangailangan malinaw ang panig ng bawat isa, kanino ka ba sa mga mapagsamantala or sa mga lumalaban na tama s katwiran at principyo,parepareho tau pinoy pero bakit may nagpapagamit sa mga nagsasamantala hindi na din usapin ng Christianismo diba?kanino ka ba ke satanas or sa mga gusto makahulagpos sa ganitong kaayusan,mhirap makakita ng ganun oo malinaw ang pandarahas nila s mamamayan eh,pro sana wag nyo na ipakita sa youtube iyon magagamit lng na blackprops laban sa inyo alam ko kya natin pangatwiranan ito kung sakali pro sana wag nlng iba padin ang kultura ntin kung paguusapan ang karahasan, malinaw nmn sa akin demokratikong karahasan ang katumbas ng kahayupan ng mga buhong na militar laban sa mamamayan at tungkulin ng Hukbo ng mamamayan na parusahan ang mga buhong na ito. sabi nga ni Tagapangulong Mao eh, w/o the People's Army, people's have nothing,hindi nlng puro pagsasamantala nababago at nagbabago ang law of nature ang mga pinagsasamantalahan ay lumalaban na so nababalanse ang law of nature diba?nung nakita ko yung footage sa youtube grabe kinilabutan ako,im sorry tao lng din ako,at nakasaksi nadin ako ng actual na opensiba ng mga Hukbo ng Mamamayan magkahalong saya sapagkat nabigyan ng Hustisya ang kahuyupan na ginawa nila laban s masa at sadness kc kakawawa sila nagpapagamit sila s iilan pa panatilihin ang ang bulok na kaayusan so nakakaawa bkit di nila maunawaan yun,pro sa huli masaya ako way back 18 yrs old pa ako nun, ago pa yun,now mas maliwanag ang direksiyon ng Rebolusyon sa pinas at masarap saksihan lagi.

    Mabuhay Kau mga Kasama, naway wag kayung panlalabuan sa inyong misyon,alam natin madilim ang daan sa pagtahak papunta sa liwanag,pro sa bawat pagkakadapa babangon tau,sa bawat isa na bumitaw s sulo patungo sa liwanag lagi at lagi my bago na hahawak nito.

  2. Cris Mangubat Says:

    Long live CPP-NDFP-NPA!Keep up the struugle. Majority of the masses are threaten but silently supporting the cause.

  3. kodao Says:

    Here is the video link of the release.

  4. malou Says:

    Just like other government employees, I silently support the cause of the progressive movement. Kahit nakakasuka na ang pinaggagawa ng Secretary namin…!!!

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