ZAMBOANGA CITY - The military and police have formed a joint task force to address the problem of kidnappings in the province of Basilan.

Task Force Trillium, headed by the commander of Naval Forces Western Mindanao Combined chief, Commodore Alexander Pama together with the Directorate for Integrated Police Operations. will look into all incidents of kidnapping and find solutions to this problem.

The province’s Crisis Management Committee conferred with the officials of the new joint task force Monday for coordination to prevent further kidnapping incidents in the province.

More than 60 members of police’s regional mobile group were deployed in Lamitan City last Monday as part of augmentation of security forces in the province. The policemen were assigned to also be a part of Task Force Trillium.

Pama has also created an operational plan, Oplan Lipulin, reportedly with the main objective of recovering all kidnap victims alive.

Pama meanwhile said that most of the abductors are holding their victims in the towns of Mohammad Ajul and parts of Tuburan.

Armed groups are still holding hostage six persons in the province: the three teachers and businessman Eliseo Hablo all from Zamboanga City; a nine-year old boy and the microfinance firm employee, Leah Patris.

Sumisip Mayor Haber Asarul told ABS-CBN Zamboanga that Patris was sighted in Barangay Baiwas in his town.

Asarul said however that he has not received any information on who were holding the employee of the microfinance firm even as another employee of the firm was released earlier.

Last Friday, the driver of microfinance firm Kasanyangan Foundation Incorporated, Ahmad Sali Illang, was released by his captors in Barangay Upper Mahayahay in Maluso town.

Escape
While last Sunday, the abducted midwife from Lamitan City, Eleazar Gumera, escaped from his abductors in Tuburan town and is still under the custody of the military in Zamboanga City for stress debriefing as of Monday.

Troops of Marine Battalion Landing Team-7 meanwhile encountered a group of armed men Monday dawn believed to be members of former Moro Islamic Liberation Front Commander Pula Muntong in Barangay Mangusu in Akbar town.

The group of Kumander Pula was purportedly responsible in the abduction of Gumera.

During the encounter two armed men, identified as Hussin Poto and Muin Hamsalam, were killed.

Intelligence sources said the group of Pula fled towards Barangay Marang-Marang, reportedly a known lair of the MILF.

Pama has called on the leadership of MILF to advise their men on the ground not to give sanctuary to lawless elements particularly the Abu Sayyaf Group.

The military said it will continue operations against the alleged kidnappers.

And as mandated by President Arroyo, the military said it will operate against anybody and anywhere if there would be a group that would continuously disturb the peace and order situation in a particular area.