ARAYAT, Pampanga -- Joseph Canlas, Anak Pawis Central Luzon regional coordinator eluded an attack last night (April 21) as armed men looking for him forcibly entered his home in Barangay Balite Arayat, Pampanga.

In a phone interview with GLNS, Canlas said five of eight heavily-armed barged broke though the door of his house at about 10:30 pm and mauled his nephew to extract information when they learned that he was not at home.

Augusto Nicdao, his nephew was hit with rifle butts and sustained injuries, Canlas said.

The armed men who used a white van with no license plates searched the entire house and took the Nokia 1100 mobile phone of his nephew, Canlas said.

Only Nicdao, his wife and their one-year old daughter were in the house when the assailants came. Their clothes and other belongings were strewn and in disarray when the assailants left, Canlas said.

The assailants held Nicdao, his wife and daughter at gun point while they searched the house.

Nicdao’s wife, who was crying at the time was gagged by the assailants to minimize noise that might attract neighbors, Canlas said.

He said two armed men positioned themselves as look-out outside the house while five went inside. The driver sat inside the van which was parked nearby, Canlas said.

Canlas, who has been under intense surveillance since the long spate of abductions and extra-judicial executions started in Central Luzon in 2005 said he was in the vicinity but did not sleep in his house at the time of the attack.

“If I was there, I would probably be dead by now. I suspect elements of the 703rd army brigade headquartered in Barangay San Juan Bano, Arayat (town) to be behind this despicable attempt on my life,” Canlas told GLNS.

Five people, all identified with progressive groups were abducted and remain missing in the region in February and March this year.

Two failed abduction attempts have been documented by human rights groups here, during the same period .