Cotelco technician abducted in remote Cotabato village

KIDAPAWAN CITY –– A technician of the Cotabato Electric Cooperative (Cotelco) was abducted by still unidentified armed men while fixing solar home panels in a remote village in Arakan town, Cotabato province on Monday, Feb 8.

Engr. Godofredo Homez, Cotelco general manager, said their employee Kier Sedilio, a resident of Kabacan town of Cotabato, was in a remote Kabalantian village doing his job when abducted by armed men.

Homez said Sedilio was still able to text his immediate supervisor named Enteng Baguio for help. “Tabang, Sir, kay gikuha ko sa mga armado, wala ko kabalo asa ko dalhon,” said Sedilio’s last text message, which Baguio received at 1:46 p.m. on Monday.

(Sir, help me. I’m being fetched by armed men. I don’t know where they are bringing me.)

The victim’s family in nearby Kabacan town immediately rushed to Arakan to report the incident to the town police, who, in turn, asked their counterparts at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to help track down the victim.

Homez said, however, they got no communication from the armed men, yet. “We have sent some of our employees to Arakan to help the family while we watch for some development,” Homez said.

The Cotelco Employees Association also appealed to the armed men to release Sedilio, who was just doing his job to energize remote villages of Cotabato through solar panel installations.

Homez described Sedilio as a “dedicated” worker who often worked overtime to finish his assigned work.

“We need your prayers for the safe release of our co-employee,” Homez appealed to the public.

LZB