3 engineers still held captive — Lanao exec

MARAWI CITY — The three telecommunications engineers who were snatched in Tubaran, Lanao del Sur last week while surveying potential cellular sites, remain in captivity.

Contrary to earlier radio reports, Akira Alonto, chief of the Lanao del Sur provincial security force, told The STAR that authorities have yet to locate kidnapped engineers Jennifer Bargarola, Scenio Polistico and Edwin Esguerra.

Alonto is a member of the crisis management council tasked to assist other government agencies in tracking down the kidnap victims.

Alonto said a possible mix-up in the reports happened because another engineer seized in Cotabato City some two months ago, was able to escape from his abductors last Sunday.

The engineer’s escape was reported by the RMN radio station in Cotabato City and was promptly picked up by its sister station dxIC in Iligan City and RMN in Manila.

Local authorities have mobilized municipal and barangay leaders to join in the search for the three engineers who were reportedly contracted to survey potential cellular sites.

Lanao del Sur Gov. Mamintal Adiong said the engineers reportedly failed to coordinate with local authorities, thus making them easy preys to kidnapping syndicates.