ZAMBOANGA, Philippines — Urban terror group (UTG) members of the Abu Sayyaf abducted two public school teachers Thursday in the coastal town of Talusan, Zamboanga Sibugay province, police said.
Authorities identified the victims as Reynadit Bagonoc Silvano, 34, and Russel Bagonoc, 22, both teachers and residents of Barangay Moalboal, Talusan.
Police said the incident occurred about 7:30 a.m. Thursday but the incident was only reported about 3 p.m. the next day after town Councilor Darkum Jailani learned of the abduction.
Police Inspector Dahlan Samuddin, Police Regional Office 9 spokesperson, said police investigation indicates the victims on board their service motorcycle were on their way to Barangay Tuburan Elementary School in Barangay Tuburan when they were waylaid by the six suspects along Barangay Moalboal.
Police said the suspects dragged and forcibly took the two teachers on board a motorized pump boat that sped off toward an unknown direction.
Investigating police later recovered the victims' and suspects' motorcycles near Moalboal Elementary School, just about 100 meters away from the shore.
The suspects' motorcycle was described to have no plate number and appeared to be a stolen vehicle.
Samuddin said pursuing police forces, who were tipped off by witnesses, identified three of the suspects as local residents of the area.
They were identified as Naim Sabdani, his brothers Mansul, and Amadan.
Tracking police forces located the house of the suspects, which was about 200 meters away from where the getaway motorcycles were recovered.
The officers apprehended a suspect's sister, Kapdul Hadjiula, who was immediately invited to Talusan police station for investigation.
Samuddin said the woman confessed that her three brothers and three other Basilan and Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf UTG members abducted the teachers.
One of the three Basilan and Sulu-based Abu Sayyaf members was later identified as Edimar Isnain.
Police have already alerted their counterparts in Basilan and Sulu to monitor the whereabouts of the two kidnapped teachers.