-
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/03 April) – Ten unidentified gunmen suspected to be kidnappers seized a town mayor in the province of Zamboanga del Norte, the police reported.
The Zamboanga del Norte Police Provincial Office reported that Salug municipal Mayor Jeffrey Lim was seized around 7 p.m. Monday while he was at the town’s bus terminal.
The gunmen, who were clad in camouflage pants and shirts with police markings, forced Lim to board a yellow mini-van, the police said.
The vehicle was recovered several minutes after the incident around 3.5 kilometers away from the bus terminal but was already burned, the report said.
The police learned that the gunmen and the victim boarded two waiting motorboats and sped towards Salug Bay.
Police Regional Office-9 director Chief Supt. Napoleon Estilles said that police units in coordination with the military were mobilized to track down Lim.
Estilles also ordered the conduct of a thorough investigation to identify the perpetrators.
The provincial government of Zamboanga del Norte has convened its Crisis Management Committee to look for solutions to the abduction, the police official said. (MindaNews)