Body of seized Davao Or town police chief found

MANILA, Philippines – The body of the missing municipal police chief in Davao Oriental province was recovered on a shoreline, barely three hours after he was reportedly seized by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA). Senior Superintendent Jimmy Manabat, chief of the Davao Oriental police, told GMANews.TV in a phone interview Wednesday that the body of Inspector Jonel Belenson, chief of the Boston town police, was found on the shoreline of Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Cabasagan, Boston town between 3:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. Tuesday. Meanwhile, Police Officer 1 Rowel Balmores, who was with Belenson when the abduction happened, remains missing as of this posting and is believed still being held captive. “Lumaban si Belenson at nagkaroon ng resistance (Belenson tried resisting his captors)," Manabat said. The municipal police chief’s body sustained 16 gunshot wounds to his back and chest, caused by a combination of short and long firearms. The two police officials were traveling on board a motorcycle and were supposed to head to the regional trial court in Baganga town to attend a court hearing Tuesday. However, even before reaching their destination, a 20-strong group of rebels from the Front Committee 20 of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee sprung at them and dragged away the victims at gunpoint at about 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Manabat said that while the police have yet to establish a motive for the abduction and killing, investigators are looking at the possibility that the victims were abducted in connection to an illegal drugs case being heard by the said RTC. “We have already launched counter operations and hopefully we could engage them (suspected rebels)," Manabat said. The police official said that the NPA has already owned up to the attack, via a telephone call to local town officials. Major General Armando Cunanan, chief of the Philippine Army’s Eastern Mindanao Command, had already ordered field unit commanders to coordinate with police forces to expedite rescue operations for the missing aide, a separate radio report said. Manabat said that while a former policeman was ambushed in Boston more than a decade ago, it was the first time that a police official was abducted then killed in the said town - GMANews.TV