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BANCASI, Butuan City: Search and rescue operation on
abducted Army detachment commander went into high gear in Southern
Mindanao, the area command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)
said on Sundays.
The maneuvering combat battalions
of the Army’s 10th Infantry (Agila) Division was tasked to rescue
abducted Sgt. Alberto Baludoya, detachment commander of the “Bravo
Company” of the 72nd Infantry Battalion based in Barangay
Aliwagwag, Cateel town, Davao Oriental.
Baludoya was riding a motorcycle
on his way to the Cateel Public Market when flagged down on April 13
at 8:30 a.m. by undetermined number of heavily armed men believed to
be New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.
Since then, the military was
clueless to the whereabouts of Baludoya.
“However, we still believe the
abducted soldier is still alive,” said regional Army spokesman
Maj. Randolph Cabangbang.
Assessment by ground commanders
in the area believed that communist rebels are using Baludoya so
authorties will be forced to stop its all-out combat operation in
Davao, Agusan and Compostela Valley provinces.
Lt. Gen. Rodolfo Obaniana, area
command chief of the EastMincom, on Sunday however ordered all
brigade and battalion commanders in the area to step up their
round-the-clock combat operation and rescue the abducted soldier in
Davao Oriental.
Maj. Gen. Jose T. Barbieto, area
command chief of the Army’s Northeastern Mindanao Fourth Infantry
(Diamond) Division, also ordered Col. Jose B. Viscarra, commanding
officer of the 401st Infantry Brigade to deploy his combat maneuvering
battalion in the provincial boundary of Surigao del Sur and Davao
Oriental to assist the 101st Infantry Brigade in the search and
rescue operation.
 --PNA
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