Police: Trader, wife abducted in Sulu

A businessman and his wife were abducted by six armed men in Jolo, Sulu, around 8 p.m. Wednesday, police reported Thursday. Director Felicisimo Khu of the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations in Western Mindanao identified the victims as businessman Jose Batronel, 57, and his wife Rosely, 37. Khu said the couple and their male helper Julie Latorre were in their boarding house at Sitio Barrio in Barangay Walled City when the armed men barged in and seized the three. An initial investigation showed that one of the armed men fired his gun before dragging the three into a waiting red Tamaraw Jitney bearing no license plate. Khu said, the helper Julie Latorre was able to jump off and managed to escape while the getaway vehicle was speeding toward Gandasuli Road. Police operatives recovered an 1 empty shell and 1 bullet slug of a cal. 45 pistol at the crime scene. Latorre is now under protective custody of the Jolo police while a rescue operation is being conducted for the couple, Khu said. — LBG, GMA News