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ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/07 March) – Zamboanga City police director Senior Supt. Edwin de Ocampo announced Monday that they have filed charges against charges against two suspects in the abduction of a businesswoman here.
De Ocampo said the charges were filed Saturday with the city prosecutor’s office against Abdulsalih Esmali and Zaldy Daing, who had allegedly acted as lookouts when the businesswoman was abducted.
Olivia Barredo, 36, whose family is into pharmacy, hardware and grocery business in Barangay Labuan, was kidnapped by three gunmen around 6:15 p.m. Thursday in front of her residence in the same barangay.
The gunmen seized Barredo just as she alighted from the family-owned vehicle driven by her husband, Kenneth. They had just come from their pharmacy at the commercial center of Labuan, which is a kilometer away from their residence.
De Ocampo said the two suspects were seen by the victim’s relatives loitering and acting suspiciously in the vicinity of Barredo’s pharmacy a few hours before she was abducted.
He said the suspects were arrested by policemen who rushed to Labuan after receiving the report about the abduction.
The police official said they have created Task Force Olivia and that operatives have been sent to areas outside of Zamboanga City to track down the abductors.
He said they believe Barredo was taken outside the city but gave no further details.
The abductors have not yet contacted the Barredo family since she was abducted, he said. (MindaNews)