ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines – Unidentified armed men snatched three minors as they tried to evade policemen after they failed in an attempt to kidnap a bakery owner in Pitogo, Zamboanga del Sur, on Tuesday, a police official said Wednesday.
Senior Supt. Cleve Taboso, operations officer of the Western Mindanao police office, said the victims were used as human shields and had not been released since.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer is withholding the victims’ names in compliance with the law that keeps confidential the identities of minor-aged victims of crimes.
Taboso said at least 10-armed men arrived onboard motorized bancas at the port near the public market of Pitogo and tried to snatch bakery owner Chzarenia Kapa Sajulga around 5:30 p.m.
The men, armed with high-powered firearms, failed to snatch the bakery owner after she was able to run inside her establishment and locked herself in, he said.
Taboso said the armed men fired on the door knob of the victim’s building but could still not get in.
“The suspects returned to their pump boats without their target. As they were withdrawing, they encountered cops from the Pitogo Police Station. They exchanged gunfire, prompting the suspects to drag three minors, who happened to pass by the area,” Taboso said.
“The three children were not the direct target of abduction, it was the bakeshop owner,” Taboso added.
The kidnappers then shoved the victims into the motorboats and sailed toward a still unknown area.
Authorities, Taboso said, were continuing the search for and possible rescue of the three minors, as of Wednesday.
He said authorities could not say if the kidnappers were Abu Sayyaf bandits.
In this city, the police said they have strengthened security for about two dozen Korean citizens living here over fears they were being targeted for kidnapping.
Senior Supt. Angelito Casimiro, the city police director, said the fears were also aired by Korean attaches Dae Hee Kim and Yong Jeung Park, who separately visited him on March 17 and March 25 respectively. SFM/AC