Faculty member, student abducted in Marawi City

A professor and a student were abducted Saturday by still unidentified men inside a university campus in Lanao del Sur province in southern Philippines, a military spokesman said Sunday. Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang of the Armed Forces’ Western Mindanao Command identified the victims as Cris Neil Gulfan, 24, and Aubrey Virtudez, 19. Both were abducted in Marawi City. He said Gulfan is a faculty member of Al-Khawirizmi International College (AKIC) while Virtudez is a BS Information Technology student at Mindanao State University (MSU) main campus. Virtudez is from Cagayan de Oro City while Gulfan hails from Pagadian City. The victims were abducted at around 6:45 p.m. while on their way to where Virtudez was staying along 7th Street, MSU main campus. Cabangbang said the perpetrators “forcibly took [the victims] into a Hi-Lander SUV color maroon bearing plate number (unknown letter) 858 and sped off towards Piagapo, Lanao del Sur." It was not the first time that an abduction occurred inside the premises of the MSU campus. On December 10 last year, two students were also kidnapped while on their way to their dormitory units. They were released four days later. It was not clear whether ransom was paid for the release of Shiela Mae Vidal, 18, and Alcher Balicuatro, 19. Like Gulfan and Virtudez, they were also brought to Piagapo town, the military said. - KBK, GMA News