Chief Superintendents Sunglao and Serapio visit island village of Landang Gua

Policemen who are graduates of education course are set to be tapped to take the posts of three teachers in an island village of Zamboanga City who have been abducted and still remain captive.

Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao, Police Regional Office-9 director, said the policemen could temporarily assume the role of teachers while there are still no takers to the posts.

Sunglao said he came up with the idea after his visit to the island barangay of Landang Gua with Directorate for Integrated Police Operations Commander, Chief Superintendent Felizardo Serapio Jr. Monday morning.

The two senior police officials escorted the current teachers of Landang Gua Elementary and High School as they assured the school officials and parents of the students that authorities are doing everything possible to assure there will be no repeat of the kidnapping incident.

Teachers Janette delos Reyes, Freires Quizon and Raphael Mayonado were taken hostage by four armed men while they were on their way home on board a motor launch from Landang Gua to the mainland of Zamboanga City last January 23.

The kidnappers are demanding P2 million for the liberty of each of the teachers.

Sunglao said they need the community's assistance in preventing similar crimes from
happening.

"The policemen are but a few," Sunglao said, "We need you to be the extension of
our eyes and ears."

The senior police official asked barangay and school officials as well as fishermen and seaweed farmers in the island village to scrutinize unidentified persons who would be seen within their vicinity. He asked them to immediately inform the authorities of their presence in the area.

In a dialogue with the school and village officials, Serapio stressed on removing any opportunity for kidnap-for-ransom groups to penetrate the area again.

"Their intention to kidnap and make easy money is always there," Serapio said, "so first we have to remove the opportunity so their intention will not come into action."

School in Landang Gua

Meanwhile, students of the three kidnapped teachers once again appealed to the kidnappers to free the victims.

Nurmina Habi, second-year high school student, said de los Reyes has been her
teacher since her first year in high school.

"She is very good to us," Habi said, "I hope they can be freed."

Hadija Hamiral, a student of Quizon, said that although they had a one-week vacation due to the abduction, none of them thought of travelling to mainland Zamboanga "for fear of being kidnapped too."

Both students said that aside from forgetting that teachers are not wealthy enough to
pay ransom, the kidnappers also forgot "that their evil deed has a great effect on our future."