Businessman, friend taken at gunpoint in Cotabato City

COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Unidentified gunmen abducted a trader and his friend here on Tuesday afternoon.

Senior Inspector Rowel Zafra, Cotabato City police spokesperson, identified the victims as TJ Tagadaya Macabalang, 30, owner and manager of Stickerwerkz, and his friend Wendel Apostol Factoral, 32, both of Krislamville, Barangay Rosary Heights 6 here.

Macabalang, who is also engaged in the buy-and-sell of vehicles, is the second person from Stickerwerkz to be abducted in over a year.

In September last year, unidentified men also seized Ishmael “Micky” Imam Glang, 27, sticker and tarpaulin designer of Stickerwerkz.  He was found dead 20 days later.

Teng Macabalang, the trader’s father, said his son was to meet a prospective buyer of a motorbike along Gov. Gutierrez Avenue at about 3 p.m. when gunmen forced them into a Toyota Innova.

Zafra said the police only learned of the abduction at about 6 p.m. when the father reported the incident to Police Station 2.

The abduction happened despite an intensified campaign by the city police and Army Special Forces against loose firearms, illegal drugs and criminality. CBB