ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Heavily armed men who disguised themselves as soldiers seized a public school teacher in a coastal village west of this city Tuesday night, authorities said.
The victim was identified as teacher Flordeliza Ongchua, wife of a businessman who operates a fleet of motorboats and is engaged in the sand and gravel business in Barangay Labuan.
Police said 10 to 15 armed men aboard two pump boats mounted with M60 machineguns landed near the police action center in Labuan and the house of village chief Oning Maravilla, the victim’s first cousin.
The armed men introduced themselves to PO3 Romeo Quillo, who was manning the action center, as members of a military maritime force, and then seized his .9-mm handgun.
Maravilla said the armed men proceeded to his house and also disarmed a security guard of his M-16 Armalite rifle.
Learning that Maravilla was not around, the men barged into the house of Ongchua, seized her and left.