Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine

This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 1, February 5-11, 2006

An eyewitness account
The Major Elequin Release

A feast of native cakes, rice, broiled bangus (milkfish) and alimango (crabs) waited at the table inside a small house where the turn-over ceremony will take place. Wearing faded gray shorts and a chequered blue polo shirt, the 50-year old air force engineer engaged in light banter and offered profuse thanks to the guerrillas as he ate.

By Abner Bolos

Pokus Gitnang Luson

Posted by Bulatlat

Philippine Air Force Major Neptune Elequin alighted from the motor boat in the river bank with a smile on his face as he greeted fully-armed New People’s Army guerrillas who were waiting to release him to Senator Rodolfo Biazon.

He wore no handcuffs and he carried a bag full of clothes and souvenirs for his wife. Barring any hitches, the 7-month long captivity of Elequin by the NPA’s Josepino Corpuz Command will end tonight, February 3, in this coastal town somewhere in Central Luzon.

He was later brought to a room where a volunteer doctor conducted a medical examination. He was pronounced in good health except for a slight wound on his right leg which he got from insect bites, according to a member of his custodial unit.

While waiting for Biazon’s arrival, Ka Budz, representative of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Central Luzon Regional Party Committee, handed to Elequin a copy of the Order of Release issued by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) and explained it to him in detail.

As dusk fell, Biazon, Methodist Bishop Solito Toquero and a Catholic priest arrived on board another boat. Biazon, a former Philippine Marine general arrived with no security escort and shook the hands of almost all of some 20 NPA members who received him. The guerrillas are mostly in their 20s and a number of them are female.

“Hindi ko alam kung sasaludo ako kay Heneral, (I am not sure if I should salute the General)” Elequin jokingly told the NPA members beside him.

“Pwede naman pong hindi. Nasa sonang gerilya tayo at batas ng rebolusyonaryong kilusan ang umiiral dito,” (You can choose not to. We are in a guerrilla zone and the laws of the revolutionary movement reigns here), an NPA member replied.

Turn-over ceremony

Shortly before 7 p.m., Ka Budz, Ka Luis, head of the custodial force, and Ka Rosa, representative of NDF-Central Luzon, sat on the table on the make-shift stage to signal the start of the turn-over ceremonies. Banners of the NPA, NDF and CPP served as backdrop.

Biazon’s group sat on a wooden bench along the right wall facing the stage. Elequin sat to the left and behind him stood a female member of the custodial force armed with an M-16 rifle. From his arrival until his departure, Elequin was not handcuffed and was free to move around.

“Ang pagpapalayang ito ay ginagawa sa kabila ng mga kahirapan at panganib sa panig ng PKP, BHB at NDF dahil sa pagtindi ng mga atake ng mga pwersa ng gubyerno laban sa mga rebolusyonaryong base sa Central Luzon. Nagmatigas at tumanggi ang rehimeng Arroyo na makipag-usap at makipagkasundo para maayos, mabilis at ligtas na mapalaya ang POW,” (The release is being done despite the difficult circumstances and great risks on the part of the CPP, NPA and the NDF resulting from the refusal of the Arroyo government to abide by previously agreed protocols in the release of POWs and the intensification of attacks by government forces against revolutionary bases in Central Luzon), Ka Budz read from a prepared statement.

Ka Budz said the Arroyo government “exhibited not a speck of sympathy for the plight of Maj. Elequin” and that it “refused to negotiate for the release of the prisoner-of-war despite the constant appeals of Maj. Elequin's family and friends among officers and men of the AFP."

He said the release was made “as a gesture of goodwill to the anti-Arroyo forces within the AFP and PNP who are determined to withdraw support from the chain of command and join the people in overthrowing (the Arroyo government).”

Ka Rosa then read the four-page order of release which was later signed by Elequin and Ka Luis, commanding officer of the NPA custodial force. The order was dated January 15, 2006 and was signed by NDF negotiating panel chair Luis Jalandoni in Utrecht, The Netherlands.

No criminal charge

“The prisoner has been investigated by the responsible organs of the Detaining Power…and have certified there is no criminal charge against him,” the order said.

Elequin was born to a poor peasant family in San Remigio, Antique province. Two of his brothers were soldiers and as a reservist, he applied to become an officer in 1979 but was accepted only as an enlisted man in 1984. He rose through the ranks through hard work, records of the custodial force show.

He was the civil-military operations officer of the Philippine Air Force’s 355^th Engineering Battalion in Basa Air Base in Pampanga when he was captured on July 2 last year.

The NDF-Central Luzon offered to release Elequin several times last year if the government will declare a suspension of military operations. The last offer was made in December. The government ignored the offers.

“Natutuwa ako na dahil sa iginagalang ng NPA karapatang pantao ay makakalaya ako. Sana ay lalo pa nating isulong ito para magkaroon ng kapayapaan sa ating bansa,” (I’m glad that because the NPA respects human rights I will be set free. I hope we continue [to respect human rights] so that we can have peace in our country), Elequin said during the turn-over ceremony.

“Maganda ang naging trato sa akin. Hindi man lang nila ako kinurot. Kung ano ang kinakain ng mga kasama ay siya ko ring kinakain,” (I was treated well. I did not suffer even a pinch. What the comrades ate I also had), Elequin said.

Talk peace

In his brief remarks at the turn-over ceremony, Biazon said: “Ako ay nabigla kung bakit ako ang napili na tatanggap kay Major Elequin. (I was surprised that I was chosen to receive Major Elequin.) I will not betray the trust that you have given me.”

The custodial force have asked Biazon not to tell anyone about his role in Elequin’s release, especially the place where it will take place. “The NPA can defend themselves. But we do not want the masses to suffer once the military gets wind of the place and attempts to attack us,” a member of the custodial force told Biazon.

“Ang tao ay tao at ang pamilya ay pamilya” (A human being is a human being and a family is a family), Biazon said expressing his gratitude that Elequin’s life was spared and that his family did not have to suffer the loss of a father.

“I was moved when I saw young ladies here with rifles slung on their shoulders. This fighting must stop. We must continue to talk peace and respect human rights,” Biazon said.

After the ceremony, Biazon went near the NPA members who were singing “revolutionary songs” as part of the program and listened intently. He even asked for copies of the song’s lyrics.

Shortly after 8:00 pm, after an endless round of handshakes and farewells, Biazon and Elequin, along with the church leaders boarded the motor boat that will take the prisoner-of-war home. Posted by Bulatlat

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