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NPA kidnaps Surigao mayor, 4 escorts—police


BUTUAN CITY - A three-term Lingig, Surigao del Sur Mayor who is currently running for vice mayor and four of his security escorts were reported to have been kidnapped by suspected NPA rebels who reportedly installed a checkpoint along national highway in Monkayo town, police said. Mayor Roberto “Jimmy" Luna, Jr., who is running under Lakas-Kampi, and four of his army and police escorts were kidnapped past 6 a.m. on Wednesday, while on the way to Davao City near boundary of Barangay Langkilaan, Trento, Agusan del Sur and Barangay Pasi-an, Monkayo, Compostela Valley (ComVal) province, Senior Supt Nestor Monton Fajura, Caraga Police Regional Operations Chief told GMANews.TV. The Municipality of Lingig, Surigao del Sur’s last town, is more than 150 kilometers away from Butuan City, the region’s capital. Fajura said Luna was boarding his Nissan Navarra that was part of a convoy with a Toyota Hi-Lux pick up where Luna’s private secretary and his driver and some still unidentified passengers were boarding. The police report claimed Luna’s convoy was flagged down by suspected NPA rebels headed by certain alias "Daryl" Commanding Officer (CO) of Ground Force-20, Southern Mindanao Regional Command (SMRC). The same report claimed the suspects divested the victims of their cellular phones and took the firearms of the security escorts. “Luna’s private secretary and driver including other passengers were released but the kidnappers brought along with them the Toyota Hi-Lux pick up," Fajura claimed. Fajura also said Luna and company were flagged down in a checkpoint somewhere in Monkayo, Compostela Valley Wednesday morning. Fajura identified police and military escorts who were abducted together with Mayor Luna as police officer (PO) 2 Boy De Castro, PO3 Allan Dapitanon, all members of the Lingig Municipal Police Office assigned as Luna’s police escorts. Military escorts who were also abducted were identified as Private First Class Johnrey Abao SN 831893 and PFC Arnel Dizon 859514. Fajura said joint forces of the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are now searching for Luna and company in COMVAL province. However, Fajura failed to disclosed whether the kidnapping is politically motivated. Lingig Police is now conducting investigation in coordination and support of the Monkayo Police Office, the report said. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV
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