Abductors of Cebu radio reporter hunted down

CEBU — The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is hunting down three men who abducted and held a volunteer reporter of Bantay Radyo for almost an hour last June 17.

This, after Rodgie Canate, a barangay volunteer reporter of Bantay Radyo, filed a formal complaint with the NBI the other day, claiming that three men abducted him last June 17 and asked him questions about the people working at the radio station.

The kidnappers, Canate said, also sought information on radio commentators Jun Arego, Jess Villarba and former mayor Gilbert Wagas.

They asked if Wagas has bodyguards, what time the commentators go home after their radio programs, and what kind of firearms they bring with them, Canate said.

The NBI has come up with a cartographic sketch of one of the kidnappers based on Canate’s descriptions. Canate said the others wore ski masks.

Canate, who also works as a barber at Mae Barber Shop in Lapu-Lapu City, recounted that one of the three men went to his shop that afternoon to have a haircut. After that, the man invited Canate to meet his friends who were supposedly also interested in having a haircut.

Canate said he initially refused but the man was persistent so he obliged and went with him to the Poblacion public market where the two ski mask-wearing men were apparently waiting for them.

From there, he said the three men forcibly took him to Barangay Babag 2 where he was interrogated. Canate said they hit him with a gun and then ordered him to leave.

Upon learning of the incident, the three Bantay Radyo commentators said it is possible that people whom they had criticized hired Canate’s kidnappers. — Freeman News Service