Bus firm’s union leader abducted

KORONADAL CITY – A union leader of Yellow Bus Line (YBL) Co., which lately has been the victim of bombings by the Al-Khobar extortion group, was abducted by heavily armed men in front of the company’s garage here Saturday night.

Senior Superintendent Robert Kiunisala, South Cotabato police director, said mechanic Jimmy Rosios, a director of the YBL workers’ union, was the second person abducted in this city since June.

Earlier, Gilbert Cardiño, Central Mindanao coordinator of the militant party-list group Bayan Muna, was snatched by armed men sporting “military haircuts” and suspected to be government intelligence agents and held captive for several days until he was released in Davao City.

According to a report in the police blotter, Rosios was seized at around 6:45 p.m. in a dimly portion of the YBL garage, some two kilometers away from the company’s passenger terminal.

Police said Rosios was urinating in front of the YBL garage when an unlicensed Tamaraw FX stopped in front of him and three men brandishing Armalite rifles alighted and seized him. The van sped off toward General Santos City.

Rosios’ abduction came as the Al-Khobar warned that they would mount more bomb attacks against YBL, which has repeatedly ignored its demand for monthly “protection money.”

The man who introduced himself as an Al-Khobar member called up the YBL office three days ago and also hurled the same threat, saying they would include the bus company’s employees in their next moves.

YBL just resumed its operations the other day after the city council and the police lifted the temporary suspension order they had imposed for fear of more attacks after explosions ripped through two YBL buses here last Aug. 3, killing a Christian preacher.

Kiunisala admitted they were still clueless on the abduction, saying, “We are still investigating the incident.”

For his part, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio, Region 12 police director, said, “We are working closely with our counterparts in the military in tracking down the kidnappers and determining their motive for abducting Rosios.”

Chief Superintendent Joel Goltiao, director of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao police, has directed the police chiefs of Maguindanao and Shariff Kabunsuan to help Serapio check if the Al-Khobar had a hand in the abduction, according to Superintendent Danilo Bacas, ARMM police spokesman.

The Al-Khobar is composed of rogue secessionist rebels with alleged links to the terror group Jemaah Islamiyah. – With John Unson