A professor of the Mindanao State University was kidnapped in Lanao del Sur weeks following the abduction of MSU Prof. Octavio Dinampo and an ABS-CBN News team in Indanan Sulu.
The kidnapping in Saguiran town past 3 p.m. Thursday took place after Dinampo, a peace advocate, and the team of ABS-CBN senior correspondent Ces Drilon were taken by armed men believed to be members of the bandit group Abu Sayyaf on June 8.
A report reaching ABS-CBN News said Biology professor Sherwin Nacua, English professors Herbert Taberdo, Frank Amarillo and some 20 other faculty were on the way home to Iligan City from classes at the MSU campus in Marawi City when the abduction took place.
Witnesses said the passengers jumped out the windows, fearing for their lives. Only Nacua was taken aboard an FX vehicle that fled toward Piagapo town, said to be a traditional hideaway for local kidnapping syndicates.
The MSU-Main campus is within Muslim-dominated Marawi City, the capital of Lanao del Sur. More than fifty percent of its student and faculty population are non-Muslims.
On Thursday night, provincial police director Paniares Adap rushed to Piagapo to negotiate for Nacua's release.
Silliman University graduate Nacua, 45, had been teaching in the MSU-Main Campus for the past 24 years.
One after another
Nacua's abduction took place after Lolita Rodriguez, another faculty from Jamiatul Muslim Integrated Foundation, was kidnapped Sunday. She was released on Tuesday in Saguiaran.
Provincial government officials said the modus operandi of the Maranao kidnappers is to use networking, passing the victims from one kidnapping group to another to leave no trail.
“They are organized kidnap for ransom groups and are purely out to gain money,” said Amenodin Macalandap of the Office of the Governor.
The victims are mostly Christians and non-natives of the province, one of the poorest in the country and populated by mostly Muslims.
Lanao del Sur is part of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which will undergo elections this August 11.
Third for the year
Nacua’s abduction is the third kidnapping incident this year.
On March 29, Jung Tae-yung, a Korean businessman, and Victor Macasera Jr. were abducted in the province. Yung is a mining investor interested in chromite potentials in Butuan City and Ditsaan Ramain town.
Macasera and Jung Tae-yung were released after 56 days in captivity due to a concerted effort of negotiations by tribal leaders, local government units, the police and the military. With a report from Samira Gutoc
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