DAVAO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / May 31, 2014) – The Philippine military said gunmen have seized 6 government surveyors in Compostela Valley and that security forces were deployed in the southern province to track down the missing workers.
Army Capt. Alberto Caber, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the hostages were working for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources sent to the town of Maco to undertake a survey for a forest rehabilitation project called National Greening Program.
Caber identified the surveyors as Kendrik Wong, Nico Lasaca, Chris Favila, Matthew Cua, Jonas Loredo and Tim Sabina. They were taken Friday afternoon in the village of New Leyte.
“They were on their way to undertake validation and survey on the National Greening Program of the government in the area. Soldiers from the 1001st Infantry Brigade joined the police in the pursuit operations,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.
He said no group claimed responsibility for the abductions, but the province is a known stronghold of the communist rebel group New People’s Army, and a known lair of illegal gold miners.
“The local government has directed the village officials of New Leyte to investigate the incident since there was no group claimed responsibility to the abduction,” Caber said, adding, Lt. Gen. Ricardo Rainier Cruz, the regional military chief, ordered army commanders in the province to help rescue the surveyors.
“Our primary concern is for the safe release of the civilians,” he quoted the general as saying. (Mindanao Examiner)
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