MILF vows to help search for kidnapped teachers
By QUEENIE CASIMIRO, ABS-CBN News Zamboanga | 03/15/2009 4:25 PM
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A top Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) official has promised to assist the government to locate and recover three public school teachers recently kidnapped in Zamboanga Peninsula.
MILF spokesperson Eid Kabalu said the organization have yet to officially receive communication from government authorities. He expressed willingness however to mobilize MILF's forces on the ground to search for the captive Bangkaw-Bangkaw Elementary School teachers.
Senior Superintendent Federico Castro, Zamboanga Sibugay police chief, earlier said that they have requested recognized ground commanders of the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), both of which have forces in the province, to help them recover the abducted teachers.
Teachers Noemi Mandi, Jocelyn Enriquez and Jocelyn Inion were seized by four armed men while on their way to Naga town after their teaching duty Friday afternoon.
Kabalu said they will alert Commander Aloy Alsri of the 113th MILF Base Command to check the presence of the suspects and their captives in the area.
Naga Municipal Mayor Gemma Adana said they received information that the three teachers have allegedly been separated by their captors, "but this information has yet to be verified."
"To date there has been no communication made by the abductors to the families of the victims," Mayor Adana said.
Adana said Task Force Bangkaw-Bangkaw, formed to address the recent abduction, is still trying to identify the group behind the abduction.
Commodore Alex Pama, Navy regional commander, said on Saturday that they have deployed additional water crafts to search the seas of Zamboanga peninsula. The deployment will also reportedly is aimed to prevent the suspects from sneaking their captives into Basilan Province where three other teachers from Landang Gua Elementary School are still being held hostage.
Teachers Janet de los Reyes, Freires Quizon and Raphael Mayonado were forcibly taken by a group of armed men while on their way home to mainland Zamboanga City on January 23. The teachers are reportedly being held captive by Mulong Pula.
The MILF has earlier tried to negotiate with the group of Pula for the release of the first batch of teacher-captives.
"Pula told us to keep our hands off the case," Kabalu said. "Pula claims they are already negotiating with somebody in Manila."
Kabalu again denied Pula is a member of the MILF.
Chief Superintendent Angelo Sunglao, regional police chief said police and military operatives are on the case to identify the perpetrators and their present location.
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