Navy tracking down whereabouts of abducted teachers
03/14/2009 | 09:54 AM
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – The Philippine Navy on Saturday has sent boats to track down the whereabouts of the three public school teachers who were abducted Friday in Zamboanga Sibugay province.
Gunmen seized the three public school teachers —Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noime Manda — at around 3:40 p.m. Friday from Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School in the coastal town of Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The Navy through the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command had already deployed ships for possible maritime interdiction," said 1Lt. Steffanie Cacho, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer.
The gunmen, who remain unidentified since no one has claimed responsibility over the incident, have forced the teachers to board on a waiting motorized banca that sped to unknown direction.
“We are still investigating to determine who are the suspects," Cacho said.
The troops in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay as well as in nearby areas were alerted in a bid to help establish the location of the victims.
Friday’s incident was the second kidnapping involving teachers that took place this year in Western Mindanao.
Three teachers were seized last January 23 off shore Zamboanga City and the victims were brought to the nearby province of Basilan.
The kidnappings in Mindanao, particularly in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan, has alarmed foreign donors seeking to provide economic development aid for the benefit of depressed communities in the southern region.
On Friday, a high official of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) expressed concern that the surge in kidnappings in the southern Philippines would derail the peace process.
Sayed El-Masry, special envoy of the secretary-general of the OIC, said the abduction particularly of three International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) workers by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu could greatly discourage aid agencies from pursuing vital projects in the south. - GMANews.TV
Gunmen seized the three public school teachers —Jocelyn Enriquez, Jocelyn Inion and Noime Manda — at around 3:40 p.m. Friday from Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School in the coastal town of Naga, Zamboanga Sibugay.
“The Navy through the Naval Forces Western Mindanao Command had already deployed ships for possible maritime interdiction," said 1Lt. Steffanie Cacho, Western Mindanao Command (Westmincom) information officer.
The gunmen, who remain unidentified since no one has claimed responsibility over the incident, have forced the teachers to board on a waiting motorized banca that sped to unknown direction.
“We are still investigating to determine who are the suspects," Cacho said.
The troops in the province of Zamboanga Sibugay as well as in nearby areas were alerted in a bid to help establish the location of the victims.
Friday’s incident was the second kidnapping involving teachers that took place this year in Western Mindanao.
Three teachers were seized last January 23 off shore Zamboanga City and the victims were brought to the nearby province of Basilan.
The kidnappings in Mindanao, particularly in the provinces of Sulu and Basilan, has alarmed foreign donors seeking to provide economic development aid for the benefit of depressed communities in the southern region.
On Friday, a high official of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) expressed concern that the surge in kidnappings in the southern Philippines would derail the peace process.
Sayed El-Masry, special envoy of the secretary-general of the OIC, said the abduction particularly of three International Committee on the Red Cross (ICRC) workers by Abu Sayyaf militants in Sulu could greatly discourage aid agencies from pursuing vital projects in the south. - GMANews.TV
