No word yet from kidnappers of 3 public school teachers

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Authorities have not made any contact with the gunmen that kidnapped the three public school teachers in Zamboanga Sibugay last Friday.

Police said the kidnappers were not able to slip out of the province to bring their hostages to Basilan.

The Naval Task Force under Rear Admiral Alexander Pama has already established naval blockade to prevent the kidnappers from slipping out with their hostages.

The police under Zamboanga Sibugay police director Senior Superintendent Federico Castro intensified the intelligence gathering to identify the group that snatched the three teachers late Friday in the coastal town of Naga.

The three teachers – Noemi Navales Mandi, Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion, all of the Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School – were on board a motorized banca off the shore of Naga when they were kidnapped by gunmen who were riding a separate motorboat.

The victims were taking the sea route by pumpboat as it was the shortest way traveling to and from Naga poblacion to Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School where they have been teaching for 15 years.

Authorities have no immediate suspects and no group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

“They (abducted teachers) were not yet brought to Basilan island and they are still in the mainland,” Castro said.

There were unconfirmed reports that the kidnappers were part of the group that snatched three teachers in Davao last Jan. 23.

As this developed, the Basilan crisis management committee (CMC) urged the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to convince its forces in the province to release the three teachers kidnapped in Davao last January.

The military has positively identified the MILF rogue faction of Usman Lidjal, Montung Pula holding Janette delos Reyes, Rafael Mayonado, and Freires Quizon as hostages.

The CMC said there was proof of life that indicated the hostages are in good condition.

They said there are also indications that the kidnappers might release the teachers unharmed, citing the government had stood strict to its “no ransom” policy.