From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 1): Armed men abduct suspected military (informant) in Agusan del Sur
A village councilman was taken away by a group of armed men early Sunday morning in Agusan del Sur town on suspicion of being a military informant.
The abductors sent a demand to the local government for the withdrawal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops in the area in exchange for the safe release of Bantuasan.
Reports from the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office mentioned that undetermined number of armed men swooped down at Barangay Sta. Teresa, Loreto town in Agusan del Sur and rounded up some 70 male residents and gathered them at the village elementary school. They then handpicked village council member Edgar Bantuasan, whom they suspected to be a military informant. They hogtied the victim, forcibly boarded him on a motorcycle and reportedly brought him to Sitio (district) Cabuga of the same barangay (village).
Police are still determining whether Bantuasan's abductors are members of the New People's Army.
The armed men reportedly threatened the residents that they will soon liquidate those who will continue to support the troops of the government.
Loreto police together with the AFP are now conducting pursuit operations against the suspects in order to rescue the victim. Meanwhile, a municipal crisis management committee is now being convened to handle abduction.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=539845
A village councilman was taken away by a group of armed men early Sunday morning in Agusan del Sur town on suspicion of being a military informant.
The abductors sent a demand to the local government for the withdrawal of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) troops in the area in exchange for the safe release of Bantuasan.
Reports from the Agusan del Sur Police Provincial Office mentioned that undetermined number of armed men swooped down at Barangay Sta. Teresa, Loreto town in Agusan del Sur and rounded up some 70 male residents and gathered them at the village elementary school. They then handpicked village council member Edgar Bantuasan, whom they suspected to be a military informant. They hogtied the victim, forcibly boarded him on a motorcycle and reportedly brought him to Sitio (district) Cabuga of the same barangay (village).
Police are still determining whether Bantuasan's abductors are members of the New People's Army.
The armed men reportedly threatened the residents that they will soon liquidate those who will continue to support the troops of the government.
Loreto police together with the AFP are now conducting pursuit operations against the suspects in order to rescue the victim. Meanwhile, a municipal crisis management committee is now being convened to handle abduction.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=539845