Kidnappings, violence erupt in Mindanao, a week after GPH-MILF sign peace deal

From the Zamboanga Today (Apr 3): Kidnappings, violence erupt in Mindanao, a week after GPH-MILF sign peace deal

Kidnappings and violence erupted in different parts of the Autonomous Region in Muslim  Mindanao (ARMM) and Zamboanga Peninsula on Tuesday a week after the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

The military and police had to augment security forces to thwart any alleged attacks or destabilization plot by a Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) faction loyal to its founding chairman Nur Misuari, Abu Sayyaf bandits and communist rebels.

In Barangay (Village) Poblacion, Siocon Municipality, Zamboanga del Norte, more or less four gunmen abducted a son of the owner of Petron gasoline station at around 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.

Abducted was Michael Kho, who was taken by his captors on board a sportage colored maroon to a remote area of Barangay Latabon, also of Siocon town.

Police said the armed men broke into gasoline station and and forcibly took undetermined amount of cash money and while fleeing they also took Kho with them.

In Tawi-Tawi, a deputy education official was shot to death by an unidentified gunman at past 4 p.m. Tuesday outside the Department of Education (DepEd) office in the province.

Killed was Nihma Lakian Unda, an Assistant Schools Division Superintendent of the Department of Education (DepEd) in ARMM.

Few hours after, a powerful explosion rocked the city of Lamitan in Basilan Province, but no casualties were reported.

The explosion went off at around 7:20 p.m. at the residential compound of Rose Tauto at Imam Uto Street in Sitio Tinambakan, Barangay Maganda.

Policemen responded to the area and recovered pieces of fragmantation grenade at the crime scene.

Police and military officials remain mum on media question if the series of violence and kidnappings are indignation acts of MNLF-Misuari faction and Abu Sayyaf group who oppose the peace deal between the government and the MILF.

The three separate incidents occurred two days after the kidnapping of a school principal in Sumisip town in Basilan believed to be by the extremist Abu Sayyaf group under Juhaiber Alhamsirul aka Abu Kik.

Kidnappers are demanding a P1 million ransom payment in exchange for the safe release of Manggal school principal Benita Latonio.
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