Service outside of his territory DUTERTE ASKS NPAS TO RELEASE HOSTAGED WARDEN ON BIRTHDAY

By Manny Pinol

Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte today asked the communist New People’s Army (NPA) to release “within 72 hours” Compostela Valley (COMVAL) provincial warden Jose Mervin Coquilla who was captured by the rebels Dec. 23.

“If possible release him on his birthday tomorrow and return him to his family. If you don’t, I will go to your camp and bring his family there and you can hostage all of them,” Duterte said.

Lijobeth Coquilla, wife of the warden who was captured by the rebels in Panabo City before Christmas, met with the Davao City Mayor in the holding room of the Ateneo de Davao University where he was scheduled to speak on political leadership before a group of students.

Lijobeth, who was accompanied by her two children, suffers from cancer and appealed to the NPAs that her husband be released because it was affecting her health and her family.

“My son had to resign from his job in a bank because of what happened to my husband,” Lijobeth said.

“You look at that, you (referring to the NPAs) better give her son a job,” Duterte said.

“I wish they would free my husband because it’s very difficult for our children to lose their father. Our family needs him,” she said. “It pains us very much for him to be accused of being a drug protector.”

Coquilla worked with the Compostela Valley Provincial Rehabilitation Center (PRC) for 16 years.

Duterte assured Coquilla’s wife that he would work for the release of the hostaged warden.

While COMVAL is outside of Duterte’s political territory, he has always been asked to work for and negotiate the release of soldiers, police and other government workers hostaged by the NPAs.

Shortly before Christmas, Duterte also obtained the release of two Army soldiers held hostage by the NPAs.

(Photo caption: Mayor Duterte with the wife of the hostaged jail warden in Ateneo de Davao University today. Romirose Padin)