Armed men free captives

TACURONG City – Armed men released four of their six captives last Sunday evening in this city after several hours of holding them in a village near Liguasan Marsh in Ma­guin­danao province, a military official said yesterday.

Colonel Pedro Biasbas, deputy brigade commander of the 601st Brigade based in Barangay Kalandagan here, told The STAR that the victims released were Elmarie Jones Goc-ong, Anna Marie Superada, Melvin Camacho, and Nestor Fruto, said to be a regional collection manager of a beauty products and distribution firm based in Davao City.

“They were brought to Tacurong City last Sunday evening by unidentified men riding on a habal-bahal motor­cyle. They were dropped in a dimly lighted place somewhere in this city. After dropping them, the drivers immediately left,” Biasbas told The STAR in a personal interview at the 601st Brigade here yesterday.

Biasbas said the two other victims, identified as Nesslen and Marvin Roy, both surnamed Fruto, are still in the hands of their abductors. The two (Nesslen and Marvin Roy) victims are siblings of Nestor Fruto.

“Tumawag kaagad sa Task Force Talakudong ang apat na biktima na na-released after they were left by the habal-habal drivers. The task force members immediately brought the victims to their headquarters for security reason and de-briefing sessions,” Biasbas said.  

Some members of the Task Force Talakudong pursued the habal-habal motorcycles but to no avail.

The Frutos and four other companions, who were on-board a Strada with plate number LFY – ‘were forcibly abducted by heavily armed unidentified men who introduced themselves as policemen at the boundary of Maguindanao’s Datu Paglas and Buluan towns last Saturday afternoon.

Biasbas said the victims were brought by their captors to a remote part in Maguin­danao’s Salipada K. Pendatun town, and then boarded them in a mini-boat for a two-hour trip in an undisclosed area in Liguasan Marsh, said to be Moro rebels’ territory, where they rested for the whole night.

On the next day, Biasbas said, the victims and their captors boarded again a mini-boat and docked on a fish port in Barangay Igtig in SK Pendatun town.

“Hinati sa dalawang grupo ang mga biktima. Dinala ang dalawang biktima samantalang ang apat naman sa kanila ay pinasakay sa habal-habal na mga motorcycles at hinatid sa Tacu­rong City. Hindi na nila alam daw kung saan na dinala ang dalawang kasama nila,” Biasbas said.