Sirawai in Zamboanga del Norte (Image from Google Maps)
ZAMBOANGA CITY — Five persons went missing in the hinterlands of Sirawai, Zamboanga del Norte on Saturday and their families feared they might have been abducted, sources said.
Senior Supt. Raul Tacaca, chief of the Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office, identified the missing persons as Jojo Mantangan, 33; Roger Jongan, 37; Reymon Furesima, 14; Jemar Maglangit, 29; and Mario Ungok, 37 – all residents of Barangay San Vicente, also of Sirawai.
“The alleged missing persons went to Panabutan to conduct illegal logging using chainsaw,” Tacaca said.
A police source in the adjacent town of Siocon said relatives of the victims initially sought their help because their village was nearer to Siocon and they feared the missing individuals had been kidnapped.
“The incident actually transpired Saturday night. We cannot do anything because the incident took place far from our area,” the source said. /atm