Seven forest guards tasked with protecting an important watershed in Butuan City according to police reports. The report cited that the men behind the abduction were former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and that these men are involved in illegal logging.
The forest guards were said to be kidnapped at gunpoint by the rebel returnees led by one Andot Behing. The forest guards who are with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources were doing field survey in Barangay Anticala. The police report stated that prior to the abduction; the group has already made contact with an armed man who asked them to allow a cargo of logs to pass through. The guards did permit it. Then at 1 a.m. the rebels returned and took the guards by force also taking the men’s vehicles.
Chief Supt. Lino Calingasan, the region’s police director said that the DENR men “failed to coordinate with us as what other DENR personnel usually do.” Barangay Anticala was known to be a stronghold of the NPA and the forest guards went there to investigate reports of illegal logging in the area.
Behing contacted the authorities to make known that he is the leader of the group behind the kidnapping. To date though, the group is yet to make any demands. “We expect it’s something about logging. That group is known to be engaged in illegal cutting of trees in Agusan province,” said Calingasan.
When Behing made contact with the authorities, he allowed community environment officer Jaime Acebu to talk with one of the forest rangers named Emiliano Gatillo Jr. The kidnappers said that they would release Gatillo today to serve as their courier, probably to deliver the demand letter. To assure the safe release of the seven men, Calingasan has formed Task Force Anticala.
