MANILA - Authorities on Monday said they still have no information on the location and identities of the armed men who abducted the architect hired by Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman in Lanao del Sur province last Friday.

Police said that a manhunt is continuing against the abductors of Pablo Mercado who was taken by armed men last Friday while onboard a vehicle in Saguiaran town in Lanao Del Sur.

Mercado is an architect who was reportedly contracted by Pangandaman to design his house reportedly set to be constructed in Barangay Caloocan in Marawi City.

Police said Mercado was onboard a Hi-Lux pick-up truck going to Iligan City from Marawi City with companions Aniano Laborte Jr., Claudio Mutia, Danny Pacasum, Roberto Buenaventura and driver Herbert Baclayon when they were stopped by 6 armed men purportedly in police uniforms at a “checkpoint.” The suspects reportedly even installed a police checkpoint sign so that the driver had to stop.

Mercado was the only one taken by the armed men but the cellphones of his companions were reportedly also taken by the armed suspects.

Police in Saguiaran town were however notified by concerned citizens of the incident and quickly responded.

The suspects and Mercado were however gone when they arrived at the area. The armed men reportedly fled onboard a dark blue Tamaraw FX taking Mercado with them.

Police said they could not yet determine the motive for the abduction.

They are however looking at an extortion angle. Some people have reportedly been asking for money from an engineer who is also involved in the building of Pangandaman’s house in Marawi.

Police said however they are also looking at the involvement of politics in the incident.

Authorities said nobody has yet called up any of the kin of Mercado or Pangandaman’s family on the architect’s abduction. From a report from Ronnie Enderes, ABS-CBN News Iligan