Sayyaf men snatch social worker in Basilan village

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – At least four Abu Sayyaf militants seized a government social worker yesterday morning while she was inspecting a project in a village in Ungkaya Pukan town, Basilan, the military said.

The victim, Jennelyn Luna Enpera, is an employee of the Department of Social Welfare and Development assigned to oversee the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for the families of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) members in Ungkaya Pukan.

Lt. Col. Tiny Perez, commanding officer of the Army’s 18th Infantry Battalion, said the Abu Sayyaf militants on board two motorcycles and armed with .45-caliber pistols snatched Enpera in Barangay Ulitan while she was meeting with the MILF beneficiaries of the cash transfer program.

The militants escaped with Enpera toward Sumisip town. Perez said the MILF beneficiaries alerted them about the kidnapping and have coordinated with them for the rescue of Enpera.

Two of the kidnappers were identified as a certain Idol and Ulay.

Also in Basilan, heavily armed men intercepted a fishing boat and seized its captain off Lantawan town last Tuesday, police said.

Investigation showed that the fishing boat skippered by Lucio Gonzales was passing through the coast of Basilan when it was intercepted by 15 men on board two “jungkungs,” Malaysian-style, shallow-hulled pumpboats, at around 8 a.m. Tuesday. 

The boat’s crewmen told police the armed men herded them in a corner before seizing Gonzales and then fled toward Sulu province.

Police forces and Marines in Sulu have been alerted to monitor the presence of the kidnappers and their captive on the island.

The management of the Zamboanga City-based Albert Fishing Boat which owns the seacraft, has been trying to establish contact with Gonzales’ kidnappers to determine their motive in snatching the boat captain.