Teacher abducted in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY—Public school students in several coastal barangays in this city have to take a Christmas vacation earlier than expected after a teacher was abducted by still unidentified armed men.

Pedro Melchor Natividad, schools division superintendent, told the Inquirer that at least six schools were affected.  He could not say the total population of these schools.

Natividad admitted that the abduction of Cathy Mae Casipong, 23, on Dec. 18 sowed fears among other teachers serving in the six villages.

“We will allow teachers to report in these schools [in Barangays Matarling, Magiti, Malanta, Tigui, Sibogtok and Tumitus] only when security forces issue a clearance for the safe return and an assurance of safety for our teachers and students there,” Natividad said.

At least 10 armed men abducted Casipong, a teacher assigned at Sibogtok Elementary School in Limaong Island at 4 p.m., said Col. Andrelino Colina, commander of Task Force Zamboanga.

Limaong Island is about 83 kilometers away from the mainland.

Chief Insp. Ariel Huesca, spokesperson of the Western Mindanao Regional Police Office, said the teacher “was dragged by more or less 10 fully armed men and was forced to board one of the two motorized bancas heading toward the direction of Eleven Islands.”

Huesca said one of the sea vessels had a white “Sangali” marking. Sangali is an adjacent village of the Eleven Islands.

Natividad said Casipong was supposed to be heading to the city to attend the Teachers’ Day celebration along with four colleagues.

He said the other teachers jumped off the boat when the armed men boarded it, which was why they were spared.

“Casipong, maybe out of fear, froze in her seat and was taken by the abductors,” Natividad said.

Three of the suspects had been identified but Chief

Supt. Mario Yanga, acting Zamboanga City police chief, said he would not name them.

He said what the police could confirm was that most of the suspects were natives of Naga town in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Asked about the motive of the abduction, Yanga said police were clueless.

But Natividad said they believed it was not for ransom.

“If it’s kidnapping [for ransom], all teachers could have been taken captive already,” he said, as he floated the idea that the abduction could be “personal” or even politically motivated. Julie Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao