Kidnappers kill hostage during rescue operations

March 8, 2018

ZAMBOANGA CITY - A hostage was killed in the crossfire as police and military launched pursuit operations to rescue five timber cutters kidnapped in Zamboanga del Norte, police reported Thursday.

Chief Insp. Helen Galvez, Region 9 police information officer, said firefight ensued as troops caught up with the kidnappers around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Sitio Kabatunayan, Barangay Panabutan, Sirawai town.

Galvez identified the slain hostage as Mario Rosales alias Mario Ungok, 46, a resident of Barangay San Nicolas, Sirawai.

Galvez said around 10 kidnappers figured in the clash with policemen and troops from the Army’s 42nd Infantry Battalion.

She said Rosales was identified by his employer, Tata Subebe, a resident of Barangay San Vicente, Sirawai.

Rosales was one of the five timber cutters from San Nicolas, who were reported missing on Monday, March 5.

The others were Roger Jung-an, 36; Jomar Maglangit, 26; Reymond Purisima, 14; and, Jomar Mantangan, 25 all residents of San Nicolas village, Sirawai.

They went to Sitio Maasum, Barangay San Nicolas on March 3 to cut timber but failed to return home since then.

Galvez said on March 7, kidnappers demanded P10 million in exchange for the release of the victims.

She said the kidnappers used the cellular phone of one of the five victims and relayed the ransom demand around 10:30 a.m. Monday, March 5, to Jojo Ebalde, a chainsaw operator and a resident of San Nicolas.

She said the ransom was lowered to P75,000 or at P15,000 for each hostage when the kidnappers made the second call on the same day.

Galvez said the CMC was able to identify leaders of the kidnappers as Jamilon Wahab and Bating Lumiguis, whose group operates in Sirawai and in nearby areas.

She said policemen and soldiers are deployed to prevent the kidnappers from escaping while pursuit operations continue to rescue the four hostages. DMS