Basilan town vice mayor kidnapped in Zambo City

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - A vice mayor in Basilan province was abducted by still unidentified group of men around noon Tuesday while inside a shopping mall in this city.

Superintendent Diomarie Albarico, Police Station 11 commander, identified the victim as Hadji Muhtamad Vice Mayor Arsina Kahing-Nanoh, 20, married, engaged in gold and jewelry buy and sell business and wife of businessman Alnajil Nanoh.

Police investigation disclosed that the abduction was learned after the victim’s husband reported an hour later to the police that his wife had been abducted.

Investigators said that the couple went to one of the shopping malls along Purisima Street in the city's downtown area shortly after noon.

On board their vehicle minutes after leaving the mall, the victim received a call form her friends asking her to return to the mall.

Alnajil said that after reaching their storage room along R.T Lim Boulevard, he received a message from his wife’s cell phone number which the kidnappers used to tell him that they have abducted his wife.

Alnajil told the police that he received another text message from the kidnappers, informing him that they were waiting for the instruction of their "boss" on what they want and what they would do to his wife

He said that upon receiving the second text message, he rushed to the shopping mall but failed to find his wife. He informed the police of the kidnapping an hour after the incident.

Police set up checkpoints around the city to prevent the kidnappers from leaving.