Cotabato village head quizzed on abduction

COTABATO CITY, Philippines – Police have summoned for questioning a barangay chairman here on his alleged ownership of a car that Moro rebels used as getaway vehicle in Wednesday’s abduction of a Chinese national (not Korean as earlier reported) in Kabacan, North Cotabato.

Superintendent Jose Calimutan, North Cotabato police intelligence chief, said they will ask Abdulk™arim Untong Usman, chairman of Barangay Bagua II, to shed light on his alleged ownership of the Mitsubishi car, which the kidnappers used in kidnapping Mafen Wo, 24, in front of her store at the Kabacan town proper.

“Our investigators have discovered, based on documents found in the car, that it is owned by Usman,” Calimutan told reporters.

Pursuing soldiers and policemen later recovered the car in Barangay Dungguan in Datu Montawal town, a known gateway to the 220,000-hectare Liguasan Marsh, an enclave of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front.

Usman voluntarily presented himself on Thursday to Senior Superintendent Wilfredo Dangane, Cotabato City police chief, to clear his name.

“I do not own any Mitsubishi Lancer car. I don’t have such a car. How was this car registered under my name?” Usman said in an interview with Catholic radio station dxMS here.™

Usman, popularly¡ known in the city as “Gabby Usman,” said his complete name is Abdulrakim Untong Usman, not Abdulkarim Untong Usman as reportedly stated in the registration documents found in the getaway car.

“Abdulkarim and Abdulrakim are two different names,” he said.

Calimutan, however, said they would file criminal charges against Usman.

Meanwhile, Col. Alejandro Estomo, commanding officer of the Army’s 602nd Infantry Brigade, said they could not just attack Wo’s kidnappers even if they have pinpointed their location and identified them “as the victim might get hurt.”

Estomo refused to confirm nor deny that the kidnappers belonging to the Pentagon gang headed by Toto Saguile has demanded P13-million ransom. – With Jaime Laude