Army execs deny kidnapping ‘armed’ IP member in Cagayan

By Freddie G. Lazaro

RIZAL, Cagayan -- Soldiers of the Philippine Army’s 17th Infantry Battalion (17th IB) belied last week the allegation of a human rights group that they kidnapped a member of an indigenous people (IP) here in Barangay Masi.

Lieutenant Colonel Jose Arn Real, 17th IB commander, said his men did not kidnap but, rather, arrested Renor Danao, alias “Lennong,” earlier identified by the human rights group Karapatan Cagayan Valley Chapter as a tribal minority member.

However, Real said. Danao was arrested Oct. 1 for possession of an unlicensed M-16 rifle and a backpack containing subversive documents.

“There was no kidnapping involving Danao,” the army commander said.  “Instead our troop arrested him because he was caught in the act holding a M-16 armalite rifle without (pertinent) documents.”

He said among “subversive documents” found in Danao’s backpack were three pictures of the soldiers and paramilitary man slain recently by the suspected New People’s Army (NPA) in Kalinga province.

Danao had been turned over to the Rizal Municipal Police Station.