‘NPA may be using hostages as leverage for resumption of peace talks’–LorenzanaBy The Manila TimesTHE New People’s Army (NPA) may be using the militiamen and soldiers it kidnapped recently as “leverage” to demand the resumption of peace talks between the government and the communists, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Thursday. Lorenzana issued the statement after about 50 NPA rebels took 12 members of the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) and two soldiers from Sinagbat, Agusan del Sur in a raid at the Tubigon patrol base manned by the Special Forces battalion. Lorenzana also said that one of the Cafgu members could have been a “conduit” of the NPA rebels that’s why they were able to infiltrate the base. “Normally, we expect the patrol [base] to be properly constructed for it not to be overrun,” he told reporters in a news conference at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City. “We are still investigating what happened because each and every one of them was taken a hostage,” Lorenzana said.

Source: Manila Times December 20, 2018 11:25 UTC