ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/04 May) – A barangay official, two Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) personnel and a mining firm executive were separately abducted by gunmen in the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte and Tawi-Tawi, officials disclosed.
The victims were identified as Roberto Bulagao, Seaman First Class (SN1) Rod Pagaling, SN2 Gringo Villaruz, and Nonong Garcia.
Bulagao and the two PCG personnel were seized by six gunmen clad in fatigue uniforms around 1:45 a.m. Monday in Aliguay, an island barangay in Dapitan City, Zamboanga del Norte, according to Dapitan police chief Supt. Divin Ceriales.
Bulagao is the barangay chairman of Aliguay while Pagaling and Villaruz were temporarily detailed in the island to monitor the arrival and departure of motorized bancas ferrying tourists.
Aliguar is one of the tourist destinations in Dapitan.
Ceriales said the gunmen forced the victims to board one of the two motorized bancas that sped towards the direction of Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte.
Senior Supt. Joselito Salido, Tawi-Tawi police director, said Garcia was abducted by four gunmen also wearing fatigues and bonnet masks around 11 p.m. Sunday at Beach Side Inn in Barangay Sumandagit, Bongao.
Salido said Garcia is the finance officer of a mining firm based in Tawi-Tawi.
He said the suspects forced Garcia to board one of two motorized bancas that sped towards Languyan, Tawi-Tawi.
Policemen in coordination with the military were tracking down the whereabouts of the victims in Zamboanga del Norte and in Tawi-Tawi. (MindaNews)