ZAMBOANGA CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Nov. 6, 2013) – A group of gunmen seized two Filipino contractors working for Globe Telecom in the southern Philippines, police said Wednesday.
Police said an operation was launched to search for technician Nasri Abubakar, 40, and broadband antenna installer Dennis Aluba, 30, who were both abducted in the village of Latih in Sulu’s Patikul town. A third contractor, Aquino Hadjula, escaped abduction and reported the incident to a marine base in the town.
“We are still searching for the victims and we still don’t know what is the motive behind the abduction or whether the Abu Sayyaf was involved in this,” Senior Superintendent Abraham Orbita, the provincial police chief, told regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said the victims – of QTel Company based in Zamboanga City – were travelling on a motorcycle when gunmen stopped them. Hadjula escaped on another motorcycle while gunmen were firing on him.
It was unknown why soldiers failed to detect the presence of gunmen in the village. There was no immediate statement from the town mayor Kabir Hayudini about the latest abduction.
Yoly Crisanto, head for Globe Corporate Communications, said the incident was very unfortunate.
She said the two victims are technical staff of QTel which was tapped by Nippon Electric Company to set-up network transmission requirement in the area as contractor of Globe.
“We have assisted our sub-contractor QTel in reporting the incident to the military. Globe will cooperate fully with the authorities as necessary. We empathize with the families of the victims and we are hopeful for their safe recovery,“ Crisanto said in a statement sent to the Mindanao Examiner.
Just last month, suspected Abu Sayyaf gunmen also seized a hardware store owner, Archie Hablo, in Patikul town. The 29-year old Hablo, whose family owns the Sincere Enterprises in Jolo town, was travelling on a motorcycle with his brother Miko when gunmen, who were in a jeep, blocked their path and seized the businessman.
Hablo’s brother managed to run and escape and reported the incident to authorities.
The Abu Sayyaf is still holding several Filipinos and foreigners kidnapped in Tawi-Tawi province and Sulu. The Abu Sayyaf rebels have been largely blamed for many ransom kidnappings in the southern region. (Mindanao Examiner)
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